Understanding how fats in the cell’s antenna (primary cilia) affect metabolic diseases like adult-onset diabetes
Official title: Deciphering the lipid composition of primary cilia in human metabolic disease
Funded at Stanford University · NIH-11373060 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project studies how the lipid makeup of primary cilia in human cells influences GPCR signals that control hunger, insulin release, and fat cell formation, with a focus on adults with adult-onset diabetes.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Stanford University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Stanford, United States) |
| Project start | September 20, 2023 |
| Project end | July 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $774,523 |
| NIH project number | 4DP5OD036155-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11373060 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with or at risk for adult-onset diabetes who could benefit from new metabolic therapies.
✕Less likely to help
If your condition does not involve ciliary lipid signaling or GPCR pathways, you may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
Researchers will examine how lipids in the primary cilium region of cells affect signaling pathways that regulate metabolism. They have developed tools to visualize and manipulate lipids at the cilia to see how these signals govern appetite, insulin production, and fat cell development. The work uses human cells and aims to connect lipid composition with metabolic diseases, potentially revealing new targets for treatment. The study is led by Maia Kinnebrew at Stanford, leveraging advanced imaging and molecular techniques. The goal is to illuminate how ciliary lipids shape metabolic health in adults who live with diabetes or related conditions.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: findings could lead to new ways to treat or manage adult-onset diabetes by targeting cilia lipid signaling pathways.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work has linked ciliary GPCR signaling to metabolism, suggesting potential for impactful findings, though this exact lipid-cilia approach is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
Stanford University
Stanford, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kinnebrew, Maia — Stanford University
- Study coordinator: Kinnebrew, Maia
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.