How placental growth factor affects the blood-retina barrier in diabetic eye disease
Official title: Regulation of blood-retina barrier by placental growth factor
Funded at Wake Forest University Health Sciences · NIH-11415151 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A scientist plans to study how a protein called placental growth factor influences the blood-retina barrier in people with diabetes to help prevent vision loss.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Wake Forest University Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Winston-Salem, United States) |
| Project start | April 1, 2017 |
| Project end | July 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $450,252 |
| NIH project number | 5R01EY027824-10 |
| Project ID | NIH-11415151 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are individuals with diabetes and early signs of retinopathy or those at risk, who could benefit from future therapies emerging from this research.
✕Less likely to help
People without diabetes or without retinal disease are unlikely to benefit from this specific research.
What this research studies
This project focuses on understanding how PlGF changes the eye’s blood-retina barrier and contributes to diabetic retinopathy. Researchers will use cell cultures and mouse models to map the signaling pathway that links PlGF to changes in glucose metabolism and oxidative stress in retinal cells. They will explore if boosting a protective enzyme, G6PD, can reduce damage and improve cell health in the retina. The work includes gene-specific mouse models and gene delivery tools to test potential protective strategies. The ultimate goal is to uncover targets that could lead to new treatments for diabetic eye disease.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could identify new targets to protect vision in people with diabetic retinopathy.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research supports metabolic and oxidative stress pathways as contributors to diabetic retinopathy, with some models showing protective effects from manipulating related enzymes.
Where this research is happening
-
Wake Forest University Health Sciences
Winston-Salem, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Huang, Hu — Wake Forest University Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Huang, Hu
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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.