Warburg metabolic switch in diabetic retinopathy
Official title: The Warburg Effect and Diabetic Retinopathy
Funded at Wayne State University · NIH-11323568 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A study at Wayne State University will explore how retinal blood vessels change their energy use in people with long-standing diabetes to drive new blood vessel growth and vision loss.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Wayne State University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Detroit, United States) |
| Project start | June 1, 2023 |
| Project end | May 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $385,000 |
| NIH project number | 5R01EY034964-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11323568 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients with diabetic retinopathy who are at risk for retinal neovascularization and ongoing vision loss.
✕Less likely to help
If your condition does not involve active retinal neovascularization or you are not within the study’s experimental parameters, you may not benefit.
What this research studies
If you have diabetic retinopathy, this project looks at how the cells lining eye vessels switch to a faster, glycolysis-based energy plan to support growth of abnormal vessels. Researchers will examine metabolic pathways, especially the Warburg effect, and how factors like low oxygen influence endothelial cells in the retina. The goal is to identify mechanisms that could be targeted to prevent or reduce abnormal vessel growth and protect vision. The work combines lab studies and analyses that could translate into better treatments for patients with diabetic eye disease in the future.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Understanding these metabolic drivers could lead to new therapies that complement existing anti-VEGF treatments and protect vision.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work has linked Warburg-like metabolic changes to endothelial activation in various diseases, suggesting this approach could be fruitful here as well.
Where this research is happening
-
Wayne State University
Detroit, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ibrahim, Ahmed S — Wayne State University
- Study coordinator: Ibrahim, Ahmed S
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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.