Could a probiotic help save sight in diabetes?
NCT ID NCT07383701
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This pilot study tests whether a daily probiotic supplement (Lactobacillus plantarum 299v) can reduce retinal swelling and improve vision in people with diabetic macular edema. Thirty-six participants will take the probiotic twice daily for four months. Researchers will measure changes in retinal thickness, visual acuity, and the need for anti-VEGF injections, comparing results to historical data.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Lactobacillus plantarum 299v probiotic
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer a simple, safe supplement to help control diabetic macular edema and reduce the need for eye injections.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early pilot study with only 36 people, and it compares results to past data rather than a current placebo group. The probiotic may not improve vision or reduce swelling.
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.
- Phase
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Phase 2
Tests whether the treatment actually works, and watches for side effects, in a larger group.
- Participants
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About 36 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Aug 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Sep 2027
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.
- Ages
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
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: * Age of at least 18 years, presence of DME at the current clinical visit Exclusion Criteria: * Patients with contraindication to probiotic supplement (e.g. prior allergy or GI intolerance and any type of immunocompromised diseases).
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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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Mass Eye and Ear
Boston, Massachusetts, 02114, United States
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