R01DK140331
Project Grant
Overview
Grant Description
THE ROLE OF MACROPHAGES IN WEIGHT LOSS-INDUCED METABOLIC HEALTH AND ADIPOSE TISSUE INFLAMMATION RESOLUTION - PROJECT SUMMARY INFLAMMATION IS AT THE CENTER OF MANY OBESITY COMPLICATIONS, SUCH AS DIABETES AND HEART DISEASE. THE MOST RECOMMENDED TREATMENT FOR OBESITY IS WEIGHT LOSS, WHICH RESULTS IN DECREASE OF THE RELATED INFLAMMATION AND COMPLICATIONS, MAKING WEIGHT LOSS A VERY ATTRACTIVE THERAPEUTIC STRATEGY. HOWEVER, THE MECHANISMS BY WHICH WEIGHT LOSS BENEFITS OBESITY-RELATED INFLAMMATION IS UNKNOWN, REPRESENTING A MAJOR KNOWLEDGE GAP. WE RECENTLY REVEALED THAT IN MICE, WEIGHT LOSS INDUCED BY CALORIC RESTRICTION (CR) PROMOTES RESOLUTION OF INFLAMMATION IN ATHEROSCLEROTIC CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE. MECHANISTICALLY, THIS IS ATTRIBUTED TO A NEW MACROPHAGE SUBTYPE (TERMED CR-MACROPHAGES) THAT HAVE INCREASED CAPABILITY TO EFFEROCYTOSE (THE PHAGOCYTIC PROCESS BY WHICH MACROPHAGES CLEAR APOPTOTIC CELLS) AND ACCUMULATE MOSTLY IN VISCERAL ADIPOSE TISSUE, BUT ALSO IN ATHEROSCLEROTIC PLAQUES. CR-MACROPHAGES ARE DISTINGUISHABLE BY THEIR HIGH EXPRESSION OF CD16A, WHICH OUR DATA DEMONSTRATE IS REQUIRED FOR THEIR HIGHER EFFEROCYTIC ACTIVITY. THEREFORE, OUR CENTRAL HYPOTHESIS IS THAT WEIGHT LOSS INDUCES A PRO-RESOLVING PHENOTYPE IN MACROPHAGES THAT SUBSEQUENTLY RESOLVES INFLAMMATION AND IMPROVES METABOLIC HEALTH. IN THE FIRST AIM WE WILL DETERMINE VISCERAL AND SUBCUTANEOUS ADIPOSE TISSUE MACROPHAGE PHENOTYPE, FUNCTION AND TRANSCRIPTOME ACROSS SPECIES (MOUSE AND HUMAN) AND TIME OF WEIGHT LOSS. AIM 2 WILL USE SEVERAL STRATEGIES, INCLUDING CELL THERAPY AND NANOMEDICINE, TO TEST WHETHER CR-MACROPHAGES CAN BE USED TO TREAT METABOLIC DYSFUNCTION IN OBESE MICE. OUR RESULTS WILL UNEARTH NOVEL IMMUNOLOGICAL PATHWAYS UNDERLYING WEIGHT LOSS-INDUCED INFLAMMATION RESOLUTION THAT WILL SUGGEST NEW STRATEGIES FOR THE TREATMENT OF OBESITY COMPLICATIONS, ESTABLISHING A NEW PARADIGM IN OBESITY MANAGEMENT.
Awardee
Funding Goals
(1) TO PROMOTE EXTRAMURAL BASIC AND CLINICAL BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH THAT IMPROVES THE UNDERSTANDING OF THE MECHANISMS UNDERLYING DISEASE AND LEADS TO IMPROVED PREVENTIONS, DIAGNOSIS, AND TREATMENT OF DIABETES, DIGESTIVE, AND KIDNEY DISEASES. PROGRAMMATIC AREAS WITHIN THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF DIABETES AND DIGESTIVE AND KIDNEY DISEASES INCLUDE DIABETES, DIGESTIVE, ENDOCRINE, HEMATOLOGIC, LIVER, METABOLIC, NEPHROLOGIC, NUTRITION, OBESITY, AND UROLOGIC DISEASES. SPECIFIC PROGRAMS AREAS OF INTEREST INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING: (A) FOR DIABETES, ENDOCRINE, AND METABOLIC DISEASES AREAS: FUNDAMENTAL AND CLINICAL STUDIES INCLUDING THE ETIOLOGY, PATHOGENESIS, PREVENTION, DIAGNOSIS, TREATMENT AND CURE OF DIABETES MELLITUS AND ITS COMPLICATIONS, NORMAL AND ABNORMAL FUNCTION OF THE PITUITARY, THYROID, PARATHYROID, ADRENAL, AND OTHER HORMONE SECRETING GLANDS, HORMONAL REGULATION OF BONE, ADIPOSE TISSUE, AND LIVER, ON FUNDAMENTAL ASPECTS OF SIGNAL TRANSDUCTION, INCLUDING THE ACTION OF HORMONES, COREGULATORS, AND CHROMATIN REMODELING PROTEINS, HORMONE BIOSYNTHESIS, SECRETION, METABOLISM, AND BINDING, AND ON HORMONAL REGULATION OF GENE EXPRESSION AND THE ROLE(S) OF SELECTIVE RECEPTOR MODULATORS AS PARTIAL AGONISTS OR ANTAGONISTS OF HORMONE ACTION, AND FUNDAMENTAL STUDIES RELEVANT TO METABOLIC DISORDERS INCLUDING MEMBRANE STRUCTURE, FUNCTION, AND TRANSPORT PHENOMENA AND ENZYME BIOSYNTHESIS, AND BASIC AND CLINICAL STUDIES ON THE ETIOLOGY, PATHOGENESIS, PREVENTION, AND TREATMENT OF INHERITED METABOLIC DISORDERS (SUCH AS CYSTIC FIBROSIS). (B) FOR DIGESTIVE DISEASE AND NUTRITION AREAS: GENETICS AND GENOMICS OF THE GI TRACT AND ITS DISEASES, GENETICS AND GENOMICS OF LIVER/PANCREAS AND DISEASES, GENETICS AND GENOMICS OF NUTRITION, GENETICS AND GENOMICS OF OBESITY, BARIATRIC SURGERY, CLINICAL NUTRITION RESEARCH, CLINICAL OBESITY RESEARCH, COMPLICATIONS OF CHRONIC LIVER DISEASE, FATTY LIVER DISEASE, GENETIC LIVER DISEASE, HIV AND LIVER, CELL INJURY, REPAIR, FIBROSIS AND INFLAMMATION IN THE LIVER, LIVER CANCER, LIVER TRANSPLANTATION, PEDIATRIC LIVER DISEASE, VIRAL HEPATITIS AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES, GASTROINTESTINAL AND NUTRITION EFFECTS OF AIDS, GASTROINTESTINAL MUCOSAL AND IMMUNOLOGY, GASTROINTESTINAL MOTILITY, BASIC NEUROGASTROENTEROLOGY, GASTROINTESTINAL DEVELOPMENT, GASTROINTESTINAL EPITHELIAL BIOLOGY, GASTROINTESTINAL INFLAMMATION, DIGESTIVE DISEASES EPIDEMIOLOGY AND DATA SYSTEMS, NUTRITIONAL EPIDEMIOLOGY AND DATA SYSTEMS, AUTOIMMUNE LIVER DISEASE, BILE, BILIRUBIN AND CHOLESTASIS, BIOENGINEERING AND BIOTECHNOLOGY RELATED TO DIGESTIVE DISEASES, LIVER, NUTRITION AND OBESITY, CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY OF THE LIVER, DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY AND REGENERATION, DRUG-INDUCED LIVER DISEASE, GALLBLADDER DISEASE AND BILIARY DISEASES, EXOCRINE PANCREAS BIOLOGY AND DISEASES, GASTROINTESTINAL NEUROENDOCRINOLOGY, GASTROINTESTINAL TRANSPORT AND ABSORPTION, NUTRIENT METABOLISM, PEDIATRIC CLINICAL OBESITY, CLINICAL TRIALS IN DIGESTIVE DISEASES, LIVER CLINICAL TRIALS, OBESITY PREVENTION AND TREATMENT, AND OBESITY AND EATING DISORDERS. (C) FOR KIDNEY, UROLOGIC AND HEMATOLOGIC DISEASES AREAS: STUDIES OF THE DEVELOPMENT, PHYSIOLOGY, AND CELL BIOLOGY OF THE KIDNEY, PATHOPHYSIOLOGY OF THE KIDNEY, GENETICS OF KIDNEY DISORDERS, IMMUNE MECHANISMS OF KIDNEY DISEASE, KIDNEY DISEASE AS A COMPLICATION OF DIABETES, EFFECTS OF DRUGS, NEPHROTOXINS AND ENVIRONMENTAL TOXINS ON THE KIDNEY, MECHANISMS OF KIDNEY INJURY REPAIR, IMPROVED DIAGNOSIS, PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE AND END-STAGE RENAL DISEASE, IMPROVED APPROACHES TO MAINTENANCE DIALYSIS THERAPIES, BASIC STUDIES OF LOWER URINARY TRACT CELL BIOLOGY, DEVELOPMENT, PHYSIOLOGY, AND PATHOPHYSIOLOGY, CLINICAL STUDIES OF BLADDER DYSFUNCTION, INCONTINENCE, PYELONEPHRITIS, INTERSTITIAL CYSTITIS, BENIGN PROSTATIC HYPERPLASIA, UROLITHIASIS, AND VESICOURETERAL REFLUX, DEVELOPMENT OF NOVEL DIAGNOSTIC TOOLS AND IMPROVED THERAPIES, INCLUDING TISSUE ENGINEERING STRATEGIES, FOR UROLOGIC DISORDERS,RESEARCH ON HEMATOPOIETIC CELL DIFFERENTIATION, METABOLISM OF IRON OVERLOAD AND DEFICIENCY, STRUCTURE, BIOSYNTHESIS AND GENETIC REGULATION OF HEMOGLOBIN, AS WELL AS RESEARCH ON THE ETIOLOGY, PATHOGENESIS, AND THERAPEUTIC MODALITIES FOR THE ANEMIA OF INFLAMMATION AND CHRONIC DISEASES. (2) TO ENCOURAGE BASIC AND CLINICAL RESEARCH TRAINING AND CAREER DEVELOPMENT OF SCIENTISTS DURING THE EARLY STAGES OF THEIR CAREERS. THE RUTH L. KIRSCHSTEIN NATIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE AWARD (NRSA) FUNDS BASIC AND CLINICAL RESEARCH TRAINING, SUPPORT FOR CAREER DEVELOPMENT, AND THE TRANSITION FROM POSTDOCTORAL BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH TRAINING TO INDEPENDENT RESEARCH RELATED TO DIABETES, DIGESTIVE, ENDOCRINE, HEMATOLOGIC, LIVER, METABOLIC, NEPHROLOGIC, NUTRITION, OBESITY, AND UROLOGIC DISEASES. (3) TO EXPAND AND IMPROVE THE SMALL BUSINESS INNOVATION RESEARCH (SBIR) PROGRAM. THE SBIR PROGRAM AIMS TO INCREASE AND FACILITATE PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIALIZATION OF INNOVATIONS DERIVED FROM FEDERAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, TO ENHANCE SMALL BUSINESS PARTICIPATION IN FEDERAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, AND TO FOSTER AND ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATION OF SOCIALLY AND ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS AND WOMEN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS IN TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION. (4) TO UTILIZE THE SMALL BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER (STTR) PROGRAM. THE STTR PROGRAM INTENDS TO STIMULATE AND FOSTER SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION THROUGH COOPERATIVE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CARRIED OUT BETWEEN SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS AND RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS, TO FOSTER TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER BETWEEN SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS AND RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS, TO INCREASE PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIALIZATION OF INNOVATIONS DERIVED FROM FEDERAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, AND TO FOSTER AND ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATION OF SOCIALLY AND ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS AND WOMEN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS IN TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION.
Grant Program (CFDA)
Awarding / Funding Agency
Place of Performance
Illinois
United States
Geographic Scope
State-Wide
Related Opportunity
University Of Chicago was awarded
Macrophage Role in Weight Loss-Induced Inflammation Resolution
Project Grant R01DK140331
worth $3,255,832
from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases in September 2025 with work to be completed primarily in Illinois United States.
The grant
has a duration of 4 years and
was awarded through assistance program 93.847 Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases Extramural Research.
The Project Grant was awarded through grant opportunity NIH Research Project Grant (Parent R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed).
Status
(Ongoing)
Last Modified 9/26/25
Period of Performance
9/20/25
Start Date
9/19/29
End Date
Funding Split
$3.3M
Federal Obligation
$0.0
Non-Federal Obligation
$3.3M
Total Obligated
Activity Timeline
Additional Detail
Award ID FAIN
R01DK140331
SAI Number
R01DK140331-2979629225
Award ID URI
SAI UNAVAILABLE
Awardee Classifications
Private Institution Of Higher Education
Awarding Office
75NK00 NIH National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
Funding Office
75NK00 NIH National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
Awardee UEI
ZUE9HKT2CLC9
Awardee CAGE
5E688
Performance District
IL-90
Senators
Richard Durbin
Tammy Duckworth
Tammy Duckworth
Modified: 9/26/25