PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT Joshua J. Joseph, MD, is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism at The Ohio State University. Dr. Joseph seeks a Mentored Patient- Oriented Research Career Development Award in order to obtain the skills, knowledge, and mentored research experience that are essential for a career as a clinician scientist in the field of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) prevention. This proposal is aimed at determining the role of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) in glucose metabolism and the development of T2DM among African Americans (AAs). AAs are 1.7 times as likely to develop T2DM in the US and are twice as likely to die from T2DM compared to non-Hispanic whites. Thus, this represents an area of critical need. The objectives of this proposal are to determine the role of the RAAS, endothelin-1, ARMC5 (armadillo repeat containing 5) and RAAS antagonism in glucose metabolism and the development of diabetes. The specific aims of this research proposal are: (1) to determine the associations of aldosterone and endothelin-1, individually and combined, with HOMA-insulin resistance, HOMA-β cell function, fasting plasma glucose and incident T2DM among AAs without T2DM at baseline in the Jackson Heart Study (JHS); (2) to determine a) the cross-sectional associations of predicted damaging ARMC5 mutations with plasma aldosterone, plasma renin activity, fasting glucose, and prevalent T2DM and b) the longitudinal association with incident T2DM among AAs in the JHS; (3) to determine the impact of RAAS antagonism or RAAS and neprilysin antagonism vs. placebo with changes in glucose metabolism over 6 months assessed via glucose clamp studies among AAs. For Aim 1, we propose predictive epidemiological analyses in the JHS, an observational investigation of cardiovascular disease among AAs, to determine the association of a combination of aldosterone and endothelin-1 with glucose metabolism, prevalent and incident T2DM. For Aim 2, we propose genetic analyses in the JHS, to determine the association of ARMC5 genetic variants with components of glucose metabolism, prevalent and incident T2DM. For Aim 3, we propose a 26- week clinical trial to test the effect of RAAS antagonism on β-cell function and insulin resistance in AAs with impaired glucose tolerance. The goals during the award period include developing expertise in the design, performance, analysis and presentation of clinical research through mentored research, didactic coursework, and formal training in clinical investigation of glucose metabolism, clinical trial methodology, genetic, genomic and other –omic analytic techniques and predictive/causal modeling. Long-term career goals include developing a career as an independent investigator focused on finding new approaches for preventing and treating T2DM, particularly among historically understudied populations in biomedical research. The proposed research aims to provide new insights into the contribution of the RAAS to changes in glucose metabolism in the development of T2DM. This work will lay the foundation to develop novel therapeutic targets for T2DM.

PROJECT NARRATIVE African Americans have a higher prevalence, incidence and mortality from type 2 diabetes mellitus compared to non-Hispanic whites. The proposed research aims to investigate the role of the renin-angiotensin- aldosterone system in glucose metabolism and the development of type 2 diabetes among African Americans. This work will inform efforts to find new therapeutic targets for type 2 diabetes prevention to reduce racial/ethnic disparities in type 2 diabetes.