1113-OR: ADA Presidents' Select Abstract: Single-Cell Transcriptomic Profiling Identifies GLP-1RA Associated Pathways in Early Kidney Disease

Introduction and Objective: In REMODEL, semaglutide improved endothelial cell (EC) health in adults with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and chronic kidney disease (KD), but intrarenal mechanisms of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RA) are unclear. We identified intrarenal genes and pathways responsive to GLP-1RA use in KD. Methods: scRNA-seq analysis was done in kidney biopsy tissue from 11 participants with KD (UACR ≥30 mg/g or eGFR <90 mL/min/1.73m2; Fig A). Genes expressed in ≥5% of cells in at least 1 major cell type were included, and ~118k cells remained after quality control (Fig B). NEBULA was used for cell type specific differential gene expression (DEG) between GLP-1RA users/non-users, followed by gene set enrichment analysis. Results: Figs D-K summarize findings in immune lymphoid, cortical thick ascending limb 2 (C-TAL-2), EC/vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC), and immune myeloid cells, which had the highest numbers of DEGs (Fig C). Angiogenesis was enriched in immune cells, whereas hypoxia and TNFα-NFκB signaling were suppressed in immune myeloid cells. Glycolysis was enriched in EC/VSMC, whereas hypoxia and multiple metabolic pathways, including fatty acid metabolism, glycolysis, and oxidative phosphorylation, were suppressed in immune and C-TAL-2 cells. Conclusion: GLP-1RA use in early KD is associated with distinct vascular, immune, and tubular pathway signatures, extending prior observations of EC effects to the intrarenal cellular level. Disclosure Y. Choi: None. H. Hampson: None. J.D. Weissenkampen: None. J. Kanter: None. T. Vaisar: None. K. Sulek: Employee; Current; Novo Nordisk A/S. K. Bornfeldt: Advisory Panel; Current; ESPERION Therapeutics, Inc. J.A. Schaub: Consultant; Ended; Klick. D. van Raalte: Consultant; Current; AstraZeneca. Research Support; Current; AstraZeneca. Consultant; Current; Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH. Research Support; Current; Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH. Consultant; Current; Eli Lilly and Company. Research Support; Current; Eli Lilly and Company. Consultant; Current; Merck & Co., Inc. Research Support; Current; Merck & Co., Inc. Consultant; Current; Novo Nordisk. Research Support; Current; Novo Nordisk. K.J. Nadeau: None. S. Eddy: Research Support; Current; AstraZeneca, Eli Lilly and Company, Genentech, Inc., Sanofi, Novo Nordisk A/S, Travere Therapeutics. Other - Royalties administered through University of Michigan; Current; AstraZeneca. Research Support; Current; Certa Therapeutics, Vera Therapeutics, Dimerix. V. Nair: None. P. McCown: None. A.S. Naik: None. M.O. Alaba: None. F. Alakwaa: None. N. Nguyen: None. C. Smith: None. J.B. Hodgin: None. R. Nelson: None. K. Tuttle: Consultant; Ended; Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Consultant; Current; AstraZeneca, Bayer AG, Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH, GlaxoSmithKline plc., Novo Nordisk, Lilly, ProKidney. Consultant; Ended; Roche Diabetes Care. Research Support; Ended; Travere. P.E. Ladd: None. E. Zeitler: Consultant; Current; Novo Nordisk. A. Karihaloo: None. M. Kretzler: Research Support; Current; AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH, Bayer AG, Dimerix, Eli Lilly and Company, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., European Union, JDRF, National Institutes of Health, Novo Nordisk, Sanofi, vera therapeutics, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc., Travere. P. Bjornstad: Consultant; Current; Bayer AG, Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH, Lilly, Novo Nordisk. Funding Children's Hospital of Colorado

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Journal
Diabetes
Published
2026-06-05
DOI
https://doi.org/10.2337/db26-1113-or
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Diabetes Treatment and Management
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1113-OR: ADA Presidents' Select Abstract: Single-Cell Transcriptomic Profiling Identifies GLP-1RA Associated Pathways in Early Kidney Disease

Karolina Sulek, Ye Ji Choi, Hailey Hampson, Abhijit S. Naik et al.
Diabetes
Diabetes Treatment and Management
article

1113-OR: ADA Presidents' Select Abstract: Single-Cell Transcriptomic Profiling Identifies GLP-1RA Associated Pathways in Early Kidney Disease

Karolina Sulek, Ye Ji Choi, Hailey Hampson, Abhijit S. Naik, Patricia Ladd, Tomáš Vaisar, Cathy Smith, Robert Nelson, Fadhl Alakwaa, Anil Karihaloo, JEFFREY B. HODGIN, KARIN BORNFELDT, JENNIFER A. SCHAUB, VIJI NAIR, Katherine R Tuttle, PHILLIP MCCOWN, SEAN EDDY, JAMES D. WEISSENKAMPEN, EVAN ZEITLER, MATTHIAS KRETZLER, DANIEL VAN RAALTE, MATHEW O. ALABA, KRISTEN J. NADEAU, JENNY KANTER, NHUNG NGUYEN, PETTER BJORNSTAD
article en

Abstract

Introduction and Objective: In REMODEL, semaglutide improved endothelial cell (EC) health in adults with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and chronic kidney disease (KD), but intrarenal mechanisms of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RA) are unclear. We identified intrarenal genes and pathways responsive to GLP-1RA use in KD. Methods: scRNA-seq analysis was done in kidney biopsy tissue from 11 participants with KD (UACR ≥30 mg/g or eGFR <90 mL/min/1.73m2; Fig A). Genes expressed in ≥5% of cells in at least 1 major cell type were included, and ~118k cells remained after quality control (Fig B). NEBULA was used for cell type specific differential gene expression (DEG) between GLP-1RA users/non-users, followed by gene set enrichment analysis. Results: Figs D-K summarize findings in immune lymphoid, cortical thick ascending limb 2 (C-TAL-2), EC/vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC), and immune myeloid cells, which had the highest numbers of DEGs (Fig C). Angiogenesis was enriched in immune cells, whereas hypoxia and TNFα-NFκB signaling were suppressed in immune myeloid cells. Glycolysis was enriched in EC/VSMC, whereas hypoxia and multiple metabolic pathways, including fatty acid metabolism, glycolysis, and oxidative phosphorylation, were suppressed in immune and C-TAL-2 cells. Conclusion: GLP-1RA use in early KD is associated with distinct vascular, immune, and tubular pathway signatures, extending prior observations of EC effects to the intrarenal cellular level. Disclosure Y. Choi: None. H. Hampson: None. J.D. Weissenkampen: None. J. Kanter: None. T. Vaisar: None. K. Sulek: Employee; Current; Novo Nordisk A/S. K. Bornfeldt: Advisory Panel; Current; ESPERION Therapeutics, Inc. J.A. Schaub: Consultant; Ended; Klick. D. van Raalte: Consultant; Current; AstraZeneca. Research Support; Current; AstraZeneca. Consultant; Current; Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH. Research Support; Current; Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH. Consultant; Current; Eli Lilly and Company. Research Support; Current; Eli Lilly and Company. Consultant; Current; Merck & Co., Inc. Research Support; Current; Merck & Co., Inc. Consultant; Current; Novo Nordisk. Research Support; Current; Novo Nordisk. K.J. Nadeau: None. S. Eddy: Research Support; Current; AstraZeneca, Eli Lilly and Company, Genentech, Inc., Sanofi, Novo Nordisk A/S, Travere Therapeutics. Other - Royalties administered through University of Michigan; Current; AstraZeneca. Research Support; Current; Certa Therapeutics, Vera Therapeutics, Dimerix. V. Nair: None. P. McCown: None. A.S. Naik: None. M.O. Alaba: None. F. Alakwaa: None. N. Nguyen: None. C. Smith: None. J.B. Hodgin: None. R. Nelson: None. K. Tuttle: Consultant; Ended; Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Consultant; Current; AstraZeneca, Bayer AG, Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH, GlaxoSmithKline plc., Novo Nordisk, Lilly, ProKidney. Consultant; Ended; Roche Diabetes Care. Research Support; Ended; Travere. P.E. Ladd: None. E. Zeitler: Consultant; Current; Novo Nordisk. A. Karihaloo: None. M. Kretzler: Research Support; Current; AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH, Bayer AG, Dimerix, Eli Lilly and Company, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., European Union, JDRF, National Institutes of Health, Novo Nordisk, Sanofi, vera therapeutics, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc., Travere. P. Bjornstad: Consultant; Current; Bayer AG, Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH, Lilly, Novo Nordisk. Funding Children's Hospital of Colorado

DiabetesVol. 75(Supplement_1)
Good health and well-being
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Diabetes Treatment and Management
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