Red blood cells and heart protection in people with diabetes
Official title: The Red Blood Cell as a Mediator and Therapeutic Target in Cardiovascular Disease
Run by Karolinska Institutet · NCT07151222 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project tests whether red blood cells help protect the heart after a heart attack and how they are changed in people with type 2 diabetes.
Quick facts
| Study type | Observational |
|---|---|
| Ages | 25 Years to 80 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 500 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | Karolinska Institutet Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Stockholm, Swsden) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | January 1, 2017 |
| Main results expected | December 30, 2030 |
| Study ends | December 30, 2031 |
| Registry record updated | September 3, 2025 |
| Trial ID | NCT07151222 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Ideal participants include people with type 2 diabetes, patients who have recently had a myocardial infarction, and healthy volunteers who can donate blood and share basic clinical information.
✕Probably not a fit
This is an observational laboratory study and does not provide direct treatment, so patients seeking immediate therapeutic benefit or those without diabetes or heart disease are unlikely to gain direct clinical benefit.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
Researchers will collect red blood cells from people with type 2 diabetes, patients who have had myocardial infarction, and healthy volunteers and study their effects in laboratory bioassays. Experiments include isolated hearts subjected to ischemia–reperfusion and isolated artery preparations with readouts such as left ventricular function, infarct size, and endothelial function. The team will perform ex vivo pharmacological manipulations focused on the nitric oxide–soluble guanylate cyclase (NO–sGC) signaling pathway to define mechanisms of protection and injury. Results will be compared across donor groups to identify how diabetes alters RBC signaling and to explore whether targeting RBC function could be a therapeutic approach.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could point to new treatments that target red blood cells or the NO–sGC pathway to reduce heart damage after myocardial infarction, especially in people with type 2 diabetes.
How similar studies have gone: Prior laboratory and ex vivo studies have suggested that RBC NO–sGC signaling influences vascular and cardiac function, but translating these findings into clinical therapies remains largely untested.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Type 2 diabetes Exclusion Criteria: \-
Where it's running
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Karolinska Institutet
Stockholm, Swsden, Sweden Recruiting
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: John Pernow, MD — Karolinska Institutet
- Study coordinator: John Pernow, MD
- Email: john.pernow@ki.se
- Phone: +46704848361
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How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.