Developing new ways to predict which fatty arteries could cause a heart attack

Biomechanical determinants of advanced coronary atherosclerotic plaque formation in transgenic hyperlipidaemic minipigs

Dr Pettahandige de Silva and his colleagues at Imperial College London are looking for ways to detect which fatty build-ups in arteries supplying the heart are likely to cause heart attacks. Dr de Silva has developed a technique to encourage fatty build-ups (called plaques) to form in genetically modified pigs by using a stent to alter blood flow. He has shown that specific blood flow patterns in the arteries lead to the formation of dangerous plaques that are at high risk of rupturing and causing a heart attack. In this project, Dr de Silva will develop a model of how the blood and arteries interact, and measure the stresses and strains on the wall of the artery that make the fatty plaques like to rupture. First, the team will study what causes plaques to develop and how they form. The team will then examine how changes in blood flow close to the plaque affect how it forms and how the plaque changes over time. These measurements will then be used to predict how vulnerable plaques form. This research could help doctors to detect which plaques are more likely to cause a heart attack and in the future lead to treatments directed specifically at dangerous plaques.