Developing a 3D imaging technique that detects heart disease early

Development of novel 18F-PET tracers for direct detection of myocardial oxidative stress in cardiovascular disease

Dr Ran Yan is developing a new imaging technique which could help doctors detect the early signs of heart disease by measuring molecules called reactive oxygen species (ROS), which cause serious damage to cells. Excessive levels of ROS trigger a biochemical process called oxidative stress early on in many heart diseases, including atherosclerosis (when arteries narrow with fatty plaques), cardiac hypertrophy (when the heart enlarges and leads to heart failure), and heart damage after chemotherapy. Being able to look at ROS levels using imaging could help doctors to detect disease earlier and predict the prognosis of patients receiving treatment more accurately than is currently possible with other imaging techniques, such as MRI or ultrasound. For example, this technique could be used to detect dangerous atherosclerotic plaques before they rupture, minimise heart damage during chemotherapy, or test new drugs to reduce ROS levels. In this project, Dr Yan and his team will develop a new way to look at ROS using a three-dimensional imaging technique called Positron Emission Tomography (PET). He will develop and test new radioactive ‘tracer’ compounds, which stick to tissues producing too much ROS; these tracers can then be detected by PET. He will first test the PET imaging in cells and tissues, before moving into rats. This research could reveal a new technique to help doctors detect early signs of heart disease, so people are diagnosed and treated sooner.