Latest funding brings foundation’s total 2024 support to $2.4 million
Contact: Steven Lee, 210-450-3823, lees22@uthscsa.edu
SAN ANTONIO, Dec. 30, 2024 – The IBC Foundation has donated $400,000 to the Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine at UT Health San Antonio to fund acquisition of a Thermo Altus model mass spectrometer, a state-of-the-art instrument critical for advancing research into diabetes-related kidney disease.
This year-end gift, in addition to $2 million in endowments made by IBC Foundation in early 2024, brings the foundation’s total support of UT Health San Antonio to $2.4 million for the year. The IBC Foundation is a private foundation affiliated with IBC and its subsidiary banks and is dedicated to supporting charities that enrich the community and improve the health and wellness of people in Texas and Oklahoma.
The mass spectrometer will enable researchers to detect specific metabolites and proteins that serve as early indicators of kidney dysfunction, helping to predict and prevent kidney failure in diabetes patients. The research, led by Kumar Sharma, MD, FAHA, FASN, chief of the Division of Nephrology in the Department of Medicine at UT Health San Antonio, focuses on creating a highly precise and scalable test to identify individuals at risk of severe diabetic kidney disease.
“The support of the IBC Foundation will have an enormous impact on our South Texas communities disproportionately affected by diabetes,” said Robert Hromas, MD, FACP, acting president of UT Health San Antonio. “By advancing early detection and targeted interventions, we can help predict kidney failure due to diabetes complications to improve lives, reduce suffering and bring hope to the families in our region.”
Advancing health outcomes in South Texas
The impact of this research is especially critical for South Texas, where complications from diabetes, including kidney failure, heart disease and leg amputations, disproportionately affect the population. Early detection and targeted treatment offer hope for improving the quality of life for thousands of individuals and reducing the burden on families and communities.
“We are committed to improving the health and well-being of South Texans,” said Dennis Nixon, chief executive officer of IBC and chairman of International Bancshares Corporation. “By supporting innovative research in the treatment of patients with diabetes, we are helping to transform the lives of those affected by this disease in our communities.”
UT Health San Antonio is positioned professionally and geographically to meet the demands of a highly diverse population, and the support from the IBC Foundation is fundamental in helping achieve these efforts, university leaders say.
Sharma’s team already has made groundbreaking discoveries, identifying elevated levels of adenine in urine as a key biomarker for severe diabetic kidney disease. However, the test requires the precision and reliability offered by the Thermo Altus mass spectrometer.
Chronic kidney disease often progresses silently, with up to 90% of affected individuals unaware they have the condition. The new test aims to identify high-risk individuals early, enabling timely interventions to prevent end-stage kidney disease.
The Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine continues to lead transformative research that addresses the health disparities in South Texas and beyond. The partnership with the IBC Foundation exemplifies the powerful collaboration needed to create lasting change.
The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UT Health San Antonio), a primary driver of San Antonio’s $44.1 billion health care and biosciences sector, is the largest academic research institution in South Texas with an annual research portfolio of $413 million. Driving substantial economic impact with its six professional schools, a diverse workforce of more than 8,500, an annual expense budget of $1.46 billion and clinical practices that provide 2.6 million patient visits each year, UT Health San Antonio plans to add more than 1,500 higher-wage jobs over the next five years to serve San Antonio, Bexar County and South Texas. To learn about the many ways “We make lives better®,” visit UTHealthSA.org.
The UT Health San Antonio Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine is listed among U.S. News & World Report’s best medical schools, ranking in the top 30% nationwide for research. To learn more, visit https://uthscsa.edu/medicine/.
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