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Could fixing cholesterol help save sight in diabetes?
NCT ID NCT03403686
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 26, 2026
Summary
This study looks at how a cholesterol-regulating protein called LXR might protect the eyes in people with diabetic retinopathy. Researchers will take blood samples from 104 adults with or without diabetes to test how certain blood cells function. The goal is to understand the biology better, not to test a new drug.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this research could point toward new treatments for diabetic retinopathy by targeting cholesterol regulation.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early-stage observational study, not testing a treatment directly. Results may not lead to a therapy, and findings from lab tests may not translate to patient benefits.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Participants
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About 104 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Jan 2018
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2026
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
Who is studied
Patients who have retinal abnormalities other than diabetic retinopathy will be excluded. Patients who have systemic conditions that influence hematopoietic stem cell function such as cardiovascular disease, malignant disease, diabetes, hematologic disorder, or estimated glomerular filtration rate less than 60 mL/min or who have undergone treatment with erythropoietin will be excluded. We will record all medications including antihypertensive drug treatment, treatment with statins, Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme (ACE) Inhibitors, Angiotensin Receptor Blockers (ARB) or other pharmacological agents that may influence CD34+ cell function. Baseline characteristics will be recorded, including age, lipid parameters, body mass index (BMI), blood pressure, smoking history, antioxidant intake and use of nutritional supplements.
- Ages
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21 to 98 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Any man or woman between the ages of 21- 98 years of age will be eligible to participate. To participate in the study as a study subject we will require: a) the subject must either carry the diagnosis of diabetes or be a healthy aged control and b) the patient be willing and have the ability to cooperate with the protocol. Exclusion Criteria: * Exclusion criteria: We will apply the following exclusion criteria: a) evidence of ongoing acute or chronic infection (HIV, Hepatitis B or C, tuberculosis); b) ongoing malignancy; c) cerebral vascular accident or cerebral vascular procedure; d) current pregnancy; e) history of organ transplantation; f) presence of a graft (to avoid any effect of the graft on inflammatory parameters; g) uremic symptoms, an estimated glomerular filtration rate of less than 20 cc/min (by Modification of Diet in Renal Disease equation), or an albumin of less than 3.6 (to avoid malnutrition as a confounding variable); h) be unwilling to abstain from drinking alcohol and i) patients with anemia. Subjects with AMD, glaucoma, uveitis, known hereditary degenerations or other significant ocular complications other than diabetic retinopathy will be excluded.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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University of Alabama at Birmingham
RECRUITINGBirmingham, Alabama, 35294, United States
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