Protecting vision in diabetes by targeting a key eye enzyme
Official title: Soluble guanylate cyclase in diabetic retinopathy
Funded at Johns Hopkins University · NIH-11249569 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project tests whether boosting a molecule called soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) can help protect the retinas of people with diabetic retinopathy.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Johns Hopkins University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Baltimore, United States) |
| Project start | March 1, 2024 |
| Project end | December 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $473,552 |
| NIH project number | 5R01EY035549-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11249569 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with diabetes who have early-stage diabetic retinopathy or signs of retinal neurovascular dysfunction would be the likely candidates for future trials.
✕Less likely to help
People with very advanced, irreversible vision loss or eye conditions not caused by diabetic retinopathy are unlikely to benefit.
What this research studies
I have diabetic retinopathy and researchers are focusing on an enzyme called sGC that helps eye cells respond to nitric oxide. They will use lab-grown cells and animal models to see if drugs that activate sGC can reduce oxidative damage and protect retinal neurons and blood vessels. The team will test an sGC-activator drug that has shown promise in other conditions and in rodents. The work aims to produce evidence that could support future clinical trials in people with diabetic eye disease.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could lead to new treatments that protect retinal cells and slow or prevent vision loss from diabetic retinopathy.
How similar studies have gone: Similar sGC-boosting drugs have shown neuroprotective effects in animal models, but they have not yet been proven in people with diabetic retinopathy.
Where this research is happening
-
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Duh, Elia J — Johns Hopkins University
- Study coordinator: Duh, Elia J
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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.