# BLRD Research Career Scientist Award Application

> **NIH VA IK6** · JOHN D DINGELL VA MEDICAL CENTER · 2021 · —

## Abstract

Diabetes is a serious medical condition resulting from failure of insulin action and/or insufficient insulin
secretion from the pancreatic β-cells. Diabetes affects approximately 20% of the Veterans that receive
health care through the Veterans Health Administration. Therefore, efforts to understand the
pathophysiology of this debilitating disease are highly relevant to future developments in care and
therapeutics of this disease. The PI has been conducting diabetes research for nearly 30 years. His
current investigations are aimed at understanding the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying
β-cell dysfunction leading to the onset of diabetes. Seminal contributions from his laboratory have
defined novel roles for Rac1, a small G-protein, in the pathogenesis of islet β-cell dysfunction under
metabolic stress and diabetic conditions. His current studies are based on the hypothesis that
metabolic stress promotes functional and transcriptional activation of Rac1 to promote intracellular
oxidative stress, mitochondrial and nuclear damage/ collapse leading to the loss of functional β-cell
mass. His team is also aiming to identify key signaling proteins/factors in the Rac1 activation-
deactivation cycle that might contribute to the metabolic and functional defects in the pancreatic β-cell.
These studies employ state-of-the art microscopic, molecular biological, proteomics and lipidomics
approaches involving islets derived from animal models of impaired insulin secretion as well as islets
from T2D human donors.
In addition to his ongoing investigations (above), during the next renewal period, the PI will continue
collaborative studies toward the development of novel small molecule and peptide-based inhibitors for
halting metabolic defects of the islet β-cell in in vitro and in vivo models of metabolic stress and
diabetes. The long-standing expertise of the PI and his collaborators in this field will provide a unique
opportunity to address these important aspects of islet function in health and diabetes. Furthermore,
the PI will continue his ongoing, highly productive, collaborative studies to decipher the molecular and
cellular mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy. Lastly, the PI proposes to
establish new collaborations with researchers at the JDD VAMC to assess islet β-cell function in
animal models of TBI and PTSD. Significant knowledge gaps exist in this area, which is highly
relevant to the VA healthcare mission. Collectively, data accrued from these complementary
investigations will provide actionable insights that will impact the prevention and treatment of diabetes
and its associated complications in humans, including our Veterans.
In support of the proposed investigations, the PI has already established numerous collaborations
with VA and non-VA investigators. He is highly productive with a large number of publications in high
impact journals; the majority of which are coauthored by his trainees and collaborators. ...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10103926
- **Project number:** 1IK6BX005383-01
- **Recipient organization:** JOHN D DINGELL VA MEDICAL CENTER
- **Principal Investigator:** Anjaneyulu Kowluru
- **Activity code:** IK6 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** VA
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** —
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-10-01 → 2027-09-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10103926

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10103926, BLRD Research Career Scientist Award Application (1IK6BX005383-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10103926. Licensed CC0.

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