# Sox6 Role in Renin Expression During Juxtaglomerular Cells Expansion

> **NIH NIH K01** · VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER · 2020 · $161,313

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
This proposal details a five-year mentored training program for the career development and advancement of
Dr. Jose A. Gomez, into an independent investigator. Dr. Gomez is a Research Instructor in the Division of
Clinical Pharmacology at Vanderbilt University. He graduated with a Doctorate in Pharmacology from Case
Western Reserve University. In 2009, he joined Dr. Victor J. Dzau's laboratory as a Post-Doctoral Fellow at
Duke University, and became interested in blood pressure control and hypertension. He joined Vanderbilt
University as Research Instructor in the Department of Medicine/Division of Clinical Pharmacology in 2015.
During his K01 award, he will work with Dr. Harrison in close collaboration with Dr. Pozzi and Dr. Harris.
As a postdoctoral fellow he defined the role of renal mesenchymal stromal cells in blood pressure
homeostasis. He found that adult kidney stem/progenitor cells have the capacity to differentiate into JG-like
cells and/or contribute to JG cell expansion. In a second project he contributed to a study that found that renal
MSCs are recruited via the Cox2-PGE2-EP4 pathway. He aslo investigated the mechanisms by which adult
stem cells differentiate into specialized tissues, and determined that Sfrp2 plays an essential role in cardiac
regeneration by promoting the differentiation of c-Kit+ cardiac progenitor cells to cardiomyocytes. Now as a
Clinical Instructor in Vanderbilt University, under the mentorship of Dr. David Harrison, he is elucidating the
transcriptional regulators that play a role in the programming of renal progenitor cells into Juxtaglomerular
cells. He found that Sox6 is expressed in renin producing cells in the developing kidney and in the adult kidney
after stimulation that promotes JG cell expansion. This suggests a novel role for Sox6 in renin cell fate
specification and thereby in renal development and physiology. His preliminary data shows that Sox6 is
required in the conversion of renal MSCs to renin expressing cells in vitro. In this K01 proposal, he will
characterize a new key function of Sox6 in blood pressure homeostasis and Juxtaglomerular cell fate. The
studies proposed in this K01, aim at identifying the mechanisms by which Sox6 plays a role in blood pressure
homeostasis, and will open new opportunities for the therapy of hypertension.
During his planned research, Dr. Gomez will become experienced in in vitro and in vivo approaches to study
hypertension. In addition, his training plan includes didactic courses, seminars, and participation in career
development programs at Vanderbilt that promote the retention and tenure of junior faculty members. Dr.
Harrison and Dr. Gomez have developed a timeline for his career development and training activities that will
enable him to compete for funding and to develop into an independent investigator in the field hypertension.
100% of his time will be protected for activities directly related to his career development. Vanderbilt
Universit...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9848626
- **Project number:** 5K01HL135461-04
- **Recipient organization:** VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER
- **Principal Investigator:** Jose A. Gomez
- **Activity code:** K01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $161,313
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2017-01-01 → 2021-12-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9848626

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9848626, Sox6 Role in Renin Expression During Juxtaglomerular Cells Expansion (5K01HL135461-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9848626. Licensed CC0.

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