Developing an aptamer for improved detection of heart disease with MRI

Gadolinium labelled aptamers as targeted contrast agents for use in cardiac MRI-targeting Tenascin-C at sites of cardiac injury and remodelling

Professor Sven Plein and his team at the University of Leeds, are experts in a diagnostic method called magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The scientists recently demonstrated that this non-invasive scanning method gives a better view of heart disease than the most commonly used non-invasive alternative called a SPECT scan. Dr Plein is leading a project to come up with ways to make MRI even more effective and able to detect heart disease earlier. His team will produce small molecules made up of nucleotides – the building blocks in DNA – called aptamers that are good at targeting and sticking to specific proteins. They will use it to detect damage caused by a heart attack by designing an aptamer that targets and sticks to a protein called Tenascin C, which is produced after a heart attack. This aptamer, having been labelled with a chemical called gadolinium, then makes the Tenascin C molecule easy to see on an MRI scan. By seeing where all the Tenascin C is, the scan shows the damage caused by the heart attack, and can be used to monitor further injury. The researchers will run tests in tissue samples in the lab and then test it in mice. This MRI technique could eventually be used by doctors to monitor the damage caused by a heart attack. If successful, the team plan to start looking at making other aptamer based molecules that could be used to target a number of molecules, similar to Tenascin C, that are produced as a result of heart disease or damage. This could mean MRI becomes more sensitive and able to detect heart disease much sooner.