Blood protein markers to predict healing of diabetic foot wounds

Proteomic Biomarkers Prognostic for Diabetic Wound Healing

NIH-funded research Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center · NIH-11173857

This project looks for patterns in blood proteins that can predict how well foot ulcers heal in people with diabetes.

Quick facts

Grant typeNIH-funded research
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionBeth Israel Deaconess Medical Center NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Boston, United States)
Project IDNIH-11173857 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

If you have diabetes and a foot ulcer, this project would use blood samples to search for protein patterns linked to better or worse healing. Researchers will measure many circulating proteins and use statistical and machine-learning tools to combine them into a multi-protein signature. Early work has identified candidates including adhesion and inflammatory proteins and pointed to pathways like Wnt/β-catenin and c-Myc. The goal is a reliable blood-based test that could be validated in larger patient groups.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Adults with diabetes who currently have a foot ulcer or recent diabetic foot ulcer would be the ideal candidates to provide blood samples or join follow-up studies.

Not a fit: People without diabetes or without any current foot ulcers are unlikely to benefit directly from this prognostic research.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this could help identify people at high risk of poor healing so they can get closer monitoring or earlier treatments to prevent complications like amputation.

How similar studies have performed: Earlier smaller studies and pilot data have identified promising protein candidates and implicated relevant pathways, but a validated multi-protein prognostic test for diabetic foot ulcers is not yet established.

Where this research is happening

Boston, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Last reviewed 2026-06-10 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.