Retinal imaging to track blood flow problems in sickle cell disease
SCD REVIVE - Retina to Evaluate Vaso occlusion In the Vasculature of the Eye
This project uses detailed eye imaging to find new measures of blood flow problems for people with sickle cell disease.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11305308 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would receive noninvasive, high-resolution eye scans (OCTA and adaptive optics imaging) that let doctors see tiny blood vessels in your retina. The team will map areas of changing blood flow and compare images taken minutes to hours apart to create numerical perfusion measures like the intermittent flow index (IFI). These retinal metrics were developed by the investigators and in early work have shown stronger links to disease severity and risk than current blood tests. The hope is that these imaging biomarkers can help doctors monitor disease activity and understand how small-vessel blockages lead to pain and organ damage.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with a diagnosis of sickle cell disease who are willing and able to undergo retinal imaging and follow-up visits would be ideal candidates.
Not a fit: People without sickle cell disease or those who cannot tolerate or access retinal imaging are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could provide earlier and more accurate monitoring of sickle cell activity to help guide treatment and possibly prevent painful crises and organ injury.
How similar studies have performed: Preliminary work from this group found new retinal perfusion metrics that outperformed existing biomarkers for predicting sickle cell severity and mortality, but applying OCTA/AOSLO for routine monitoring remains relatively new.
Where this research is happening
New York, United States
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai — New York, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Glassberg, Jeffrey Avins — Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
- Study coordinator: Glassberg, Jeffrey Avins
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.