Long-term health after radiation exposure in primate survivors
The Wake Forest Nonhuman Primate Radiation Survivor Cohort
['FUNDING_U01'] · WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES · NIH-11128553
This project looks at long-term health problems that follow radiation exposure by studying primate survivors to learn how radiation can lead to diabetes, heart, and brain damage.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_U01'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (WINSTON-SALEM, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11128553 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
Researchers follow a group of rhesus monkeys that survived single-dose whole-body radiation and monitor them for many years using yearly exams, blood tests, imaging (ultrasound, CT, MRI), and detailed tissue analysis after death. Some animals received treatments like antibiotics or hematopoietic growth factors, allowing comparison of treated and untreated outcomes. The team records metabolic, cardiac, and neurologic changes and links those findings to radiation dose and timing. The goal is to identify late medical problems and biological markers that signal tissue damage and recovery.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: This project does not enroll people; its findings are most relevant to adults who have had significant radiation exposure or who received high-dose radiation as part of medical treatment.
Not a fit: People with no history of radiation exposure are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could help doctors predict, prevent, and treat long-term health problems after radiation exposure, potentially reducing risks of diabetes, heart disease, and neurologic decline.
How similar studies have performed: Previous long-term nonhuman primate radiation cohorts have produced important insights into delayed organ damage, but many late effects and predictive biomarkers remain incompletely understood.
Where this research is happening
WINSTON-SALEM, UNITED STATES
- WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES — WINSTON-SALEM, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: CLINE, J. MARK — WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES
- Study coordinator: CLINE, J. MARK
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.
Conditions: Adult-Onset Diabetes Mellitus