# Therapeutic potential of HIF-PHDi in the control of bioactive FGF23 in CKD.

> **NIH NIH F31** · INDIANA UNIVERSITY INDIANAPOLIS · 2021 · $25,085

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract: This NRSA proposal, tailored to Ms. Noonan, provides high quality predoctoral
research training and career development centered upon her future goals. The sponsor’s excellent mentoring
record, collaborations with leading bone and kidney biomedical researchers, and the outstanding environment
at the IUSM and Indiana Center for Musculoskeletal Health (ICMH) will contribute to the successful completion
of this project. Additionally, participation in the Preparing Future Faculty and Professionals program for ethics
and grant writing courses, manuscript preparation, departmental seminars and journal clubs, as well as national
meetings will enhance Ms. Noonan’s career development towards becoming a well-rounded, independent
investigator. Previous studies from the sponsor’s lab and others have identified gain- and loss of function
mutations in Fibroblast growth factor-23 (FGF23) that resulted in severe metabolic bone diseases, placing
FGF23 as a hormone central to phosphate metabolism. FGF23 is an important factor in common diseases of
altered phosphate handling such as chronic kidney disease-mineral and bone disorder (CKD-MBD), with high
circulating concentrations associated with patient mortality. Although progress has been made in understanding
basic and clinical aspects of phosphate handling in CKD-MBD, the regulatory mechanisms governing FGF23-
dependent phosphate homeostasis remain unclear. Importantly, anemia arises in CKD as the kidneys lose the
ability to produce erythropoietin (EPO), and many patients receive EPO replacement. The anemia of CKD can
be due to lack of renal EPO synthesis, iron deficiency, and/or EPO resistance, thus cross talk between
phosphate and iron handling may have important implications for patient treatment. Indeed, both anemia and
exogenous EPO are associated with poor outcomes in CKD, therefore a novel class of drugs currently in clinical
trials, Hypoxia-inducible factor prolyl hydroxylase inhibitors (HIF-PHDi) were developed. These analogs
stabilize HIF transcription factors to stimulate production of endogenous EPO, potentially reducing poor
outcomes associated with parenteral EPO. Our initial results strongly support novel interactions between HIF-
PHDi and FGF23 expression. Thus, this proposal will test the central hypothesis: FGF23 is directly stimulated
by clinically-relevant HIF-PHDi in osteoblasts/osteocytes, with specific derivatives having differing effects on
bioactive FGF23 production. In Aim 1, the molecular mechanisms dictating HIF-PHDi mediated FGF23
production and stabilization will be tested in vitro; and in Aim 2, the FGF23-dependent effects on mineral
metabolism following delivery of HIF-PHDi to a mouse model of CKD-MBD will be examined. Using these
systems, Ms. Noonan will gain new research skills in gene targeting and utilizing translational models of
metabolic bone diseases. Collectively, this proposal will provide excellent research, ethics, and written and oral
presentat...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10210261
- **Project number:** 5F31DK122679-03
- **Recipient organization:** INDIANA UNIVERSITY INDIANAPOLIS
- **Principal Investigator:** Megan Noonan
- **Activity code:** F31 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $25,085
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-08-01 → 2022-05-06

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10210261

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10210261, Therapeutic potential of HIF-PHDi in the control of bioactive FGF23 in CKD. (5F31DK122679-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10210261. Licensed CC0.

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