Early nerve damage in the eyes of young people with diabetes
Diabetic Retinal Neurodegeneration in Youth Onset Diabetes
This project uses painless eye scans to look for early nerve damage in children and young adults with type 1 or type 2 diabetes.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Johns Hopkins University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Baltimore, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11264788 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If I'm part of this work, doctors will use non-invasive OCT eye scans and retinal photos to measure the thickness of retinal layers that can show nerve damage. The team will analyze images and clinical data from a well-characterized group of youth with type 1 and type 2 diabetes, plus some with prediabetes and healthy peers. They will focus on the retinal nerve fiber layer and ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer to find thinning that may come before the usual blood vessel changes of diabetic retinopathy. Results aim to identify early signs so clinicians can monitor or intervene sooner to protect vision.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Children and young adults with type 1 or type 2 diabetes, and those with prediabetes, who can attend eye-imaging visits at the study site are the best matches.
Not a fit: People without diabetes or those who already have advanced diabetic retinopathy are unlikely to gain direct benefit from this work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: This could allow earlier detection of vision-threatening changes and help protect sight in young people with diabetes.
How similar studies have performed: OCT studies in adults have shown similar retinal thinning before vessel changes, but pediatric data are limited so this work builds on promising adult findings.
Where this research is happening
Baltimore, United States
- Johns Hopkins University — Baltimore, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wolf, Risa Michelle — Johns Hopkins University
- Study coordinator: Wolf, Risa Michelle
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.