Research Awards Recipients

Co-Applicants: Vikas Sridhar, Pottumarthi Prasad, David Cherney, Mamatha Bhat, Bruce Perkins

Lay Abstract

Kidney transplantation is the best treatment for kidney failure. One in four kidney transplant recipients will develop diabetes after transplantation. People who get diabetes after their kidney transplant are at higher risk of getting heart disease, losing their kidney transplant or dying prematurely. There is an urgent need to identify treatments to prevent diabetes in kidney transplant recipients. To date, there are no treatments to prevent diabetes after kidney transplantation. Semaglutide is a drug that is commonly used to treat diabetes and obesity. We believe that semaglutide is a safe and effective drug which can prevent diabetes after kidney transplantation, but also help protect the kidney transplant by increasing blood flow and oxygen delivery. We also believe that semaglutide can protect the kidney by decreasing the amount of scarring.  Therefore, we are proposing a study where 20 kidney transplant recipients who are at high risk of developing diabetes after transplant will be randomly assigned to receive either semaglutide or placebo for 6 months. These participants will then undergo MRIs of their kidney transplant at the beginning and end of the study. This MRI technology will allow us to study how semaglutide may protect the kidney transplant by evaluating the change in oxygen delivery, blood flow and scarring of the kidney. Diabetes after kidney transplant is a common problem, and preventing complications that occur due to diabetes is extremely important. The results of this study will allow us to determine if semaglutide is an effective treatment to protect the transplanted kidney.