(Press-News.org) Contact information: Lauren Woods
lauren.woods@mountsinai.org
212-241-2836
The Mount Sinai Hospital / Mount Sinai School of Medicine
Researchers investigating how to make PET imaging even sweeter
Mount Sinai Heart leads international research team testing new sugar-based tracer to help in the cardiovascular imaging hunt for inflamed high-risk, vulnerable artery plaques before they rupture
An international research team led by Mount Sinai Heart at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, is testing its novel sugar-based tracer contrast agent to be used with positron emission tomography (PET) imaging to help in the hunt for dangerous inflammation and high-risk vulnerable atherosclerotic plaque inside vessel walls that causes acute heart attacks and strokes.
Their findings, reported Jan. 12 in Nature Medicine, investigate the possible advantage of the proposed imaging agent, fluorodeoxymannose (FDM) sugar-based tracer in comparison to fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG), the current glucose-based tracer widely-used in patients undergoing PET imaging.
"Our pre-clinical testing shows that PET imaging with the radiotracer FDM may potentially offer a more targeted strategy to detect dangerous, high-risk plaques and inflammation that may be associated with serious cardiovascular events," says Jagat Narula, MD, PhD, the principal investigator for the study who serves as Director of the Cardiovascular Imaging Program at The Mount Sinai Hospital, and Associate Dean of Global Health at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.
Glucose forms the source of main energy supply in the human body and in the radiolabeled form FDG it has been traditionally used for the identification of atherosclerosis. Valentin Fuster, MD, PhD, the Director of the Mount Sinai Heart and Physician-in-Chief of The Mount Sinai Hospital, was one of the earliest investigators to use FDG for the detection of atherosclerosis.
A known biomarker for high inflammation in arterial plaque is the presence of an abundant level of macrophage cells. Macrophage-rich inflammation lining the artery walls filled with plaque is known to be associated with increased risk of heart attack and stroke. "Macrophage cells have a very high metabolic demand for sugars and are dependent on the exogenous source of sugars, and that's why the sugar-based tracers are able to identify the inflamed or dangerous plaques," according to Dr. Fuster.
"Although the research team's investigations of the FDM tracer shows that it performs comparably to the traditional FDG tracer, it is expected that the new sugar tracer may have an advantage to more specifically target inflammation because the plaque infiltrating macrophages develop mannose receptors (MRs)," according to Dr. Narula.
Co-author Jogeshwar Mukherjee, PhD, and his team of radiochemists at the University of California, Irvine had labeled the FDM with Fluorine-18, which like glucose enters the cells through glucose transporters. The current study results show mannose is taken up by a specific subset of macrophage cells that dwell in high-risk plaques, which have developed the mannose receptors. This may represent the theoretical advantage of FDM over the FDG tracer. These macrophages called "M2" within atherosclerotic plaques, tend to overly express MRs, and are especially common in inflamed and hemorrhagic arterial lesions.
In the study FDG and FDM were compared using PET imaging in atherosclerosis animal models. While uptake of each tracer within atherosclerotic plaques and macrophage cells were similar, according to the researchers the experimental FDM tracer showed at least a 25 percent higher FDM uptake advantage due to MR-bearing macrophages.
"The FDM binds to MR-bearing macrophages while FDG does not bind to the MR receptors. This specific binding provides clinically relevant avenue why FDM uptake in high-risk plaques should be further investigated," says study co-author Zahi Fayad, PhD, the Director of the Translational and Molecular Imaging Institute at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Researchers also observed FDM uptake occurred in the presence of atherosclerosis and almost none in non-atherosclerosis control models.
"We are excited about our possibly sweeter imaging breakthrough, but further research and clinical trial testing will need to confirm its potential advantage," stresses Dr. Narula.
"The labeling of FDM is cumbersome and the yield of radiolabeled material is extremely low; the labeling methodology would need to be perfected," Dr. Mukherjee cautions.
###
This research was funded by a research grant from the International Research Fund for Subsidy of Kyusyu University School of Medicine Alumni and the Banyu Fellowship Program sponsored by Banyu Life Science Foundation International, research grants from the foundation De Drie Lichten and the Dutch Heart Association (Dr. E. Dekker Scholarship), US National Institutes of Health (S10RR019269) from the US National Center for Research Resources, the US National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (R01 EB006110) to Dr. Mukherjee, and National Institutes of Health grant (1RO1-HL68657) to Dr. Narula.
Other study co-authors include: Nobuhiro Tahara, Atsuko Tahara, and Tsutomu Imaizumi of Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume, Japan; Cristian C. Constantinescu of University of California Irvine Medical Center, Irvine, California; Hans J. de Haas, Artiom D. Petrov, and Nezam Haider from Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai; Hendrikus H. Boersma from University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands; Masataka Nakano and Renu Virmani from Cardiovascular Pathology Institute, Gaithersburg, Maryland; Aloke Finn from Emory University School of Medicine and Medical Center, Atlanta, Georgia; Ahmed Tawakol of Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts; and Lisardo Bosca of Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas Alberto Sols (Centro Mixto Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas–Universidad Autónoma de Madrid).
About the Mount Sinai Health System
The Mount Sinai Health System is an integrated health system committed to providing distinguished care, conducting transformative research, and advancing biomedical education. Structured around seven member hospital campuses and a single medical school, the Health System has an extensive ambulatory network and a range of inpatient and outpatient services—from community-based facilities to tertiary and quaternary care.
The System includes approximately 6,600 primary and specialty care physicians, 12-minority-owned free-standing ambulatory surgery centers, over 45 ambulatory practices throughout the five boroughs of New York City, Westchester, and Long Island, as well as 31 affiliated community health centers. Physicians are affiliated with the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, which is ranked among the top 20 medical schools both in National Institutes of Health funding and by U.S. News & World Report. For more information, visit http://www.mountsinai.org/.
Find Mount Sinai on:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/mountsinainyc
Twitter: @mountsinainyc
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/mountsinainy
Researchers investigating how to make PET imaging even sweeter
Mount Sinai Heart leads international research team testing new sugar-based tracer to help in the cardiovascular imaging hunt for inflamed high-risk, vulnerable artery plaques before they rupture
2014-01-13
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Enforcement and anti-poaching measures set to fail
2014-01-13
Enforcement and anti-poaching measures set to fail
In a paper published in Conservation Letters, researchers from the University of Kent's Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology (DICE) argue that despite record levels of funding being invested in enforcement ...
Understanding secondary light emission by plasmonic nanostructures may improve medical imaging
2014-01-13
Understanding secondary light emission by plasmonic nanostructures may improve medical imaging
"Plasmonic nanostructures are of great current interest as chemical sensors, in vivo imaging agents, and for photothermal therapeutics," explained ...
Bragging rights: MSU study shows that interventions help women's reluctance to discuss accomplishments
2014-01-13
Bragging rights: MSU study shows that interventions help women's reluctance to discuss accomplishments
BOZEMAN, Mont. -- A study published by Jessi L. Smith, professor of psychology at Montana State University, and Meghan Huntoon, who was Smith's student at MSU ...
Study: Kidney cancer patients preserve kidney function with robot-assisted partial nephrectomy
2014-01-13
Study: Kidney cancer patients preserve kidney function with robot-assisted partial nephrectomy
Hang up or hold on?
2014-01-13
Hang up or hold on?
Study helps call centers know when patience is running out
Press "1" if you're tired of being on hold! Nobody likes to wait, but since customer service can't be packaged to sit on a shelf ready when we need it, ...
Immune system development linked to leukemia
2014-01-13
Immune system development linked to leukemia
Our defenses against infection can be weaknesses in causing cancer
Scientists have discovered a genetic signature that implicates a key mechanism in the immune system as a driving force for a type of ...
Research uncovers key difference between our bodies' fight against viruses and bacteria
2014-01-13
Research uncovers key difference between our bodies' fight against viruses and bacteria
Scientists at The University of Nottingham have discovered a key difference in the biological mechanisms by which the immune system responds to viral and bacterial ...
Study identifies population of stem-like cells where HIV persists in spite of treatment
2014-01-13
Study identifies population of stem-like cells where HIV persists in spite of treatment
Recently discovered T memory stem cells may be long-term viral reservoir, potential targets for future treatment
Although antiviral therapy against HIV suppresses ...
Scientists solve 40-year mystery of how sodium controls opioid brain signaling
2014-01-13
Scientists solve 40-year mystery of how sodium controls opioid brain signaling
The findings pave way for new therapies for treating pain and mood disorders
LA JOLLA, CA—January 12, 2014—Scientists have discovered how the element sodium influences the signaling ...
It's all coming back to me now: Researchers find caffeine enhances memory
2014-01-13
It's all coming back to me now: Researchers find caffeine enhances memory
For some, it's the tradition of steeping tealeaves to brew the perfect cup of tea. For others, it's the morning shuffle to a coffee maker for a hot jolt of java. Then there are those who ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
UMass Amherst Nursing Professor Emerita honored as ‘Living Legend’
New guidelines aim to improve cystic fibrosis screening
Picky eaters by day, buffet by night: Butterfly, moth diets sync to plant aromas
Pennington Biomedical’s Dr. Leanne Redman honored with the E. V. McCollum Award from the American Society for Nutrition
CCNY physicists uncover electronic interactions mediated via spin waves
Researchers’ 3D-printing formula may transform future of foam
Nurture more important than nature for robotic hand
Drug-delivering aptamers target leukemia stem cells for one-two knockout punch
New study finds that over 95% of sponsored influencer posts on Twitter were not disclosed
New sea grant report helps great lakes fish farmers navigate aquaculture regulations
Strain “trick” improves perovskite solar cells’ efficiency
How GPS helps older drivers stay on the roads
Estrogen and progesterone stimulate the body to make opioids
Dancing with the cells – how acoustically levitating a diamond led to a breakthrough in biotech automation
Machine learning helps construct an evolutionary timeline of bacteria
Cellular regulator of mRNA vaccine revealed... offering new therapeutic options
Animal behavioral diversity at risk in the face of declining biodiversity
Finding their way: GPS ignites independence in older adult drivers
Antibiotic resistance among key bacterial species plateaus over time
‘Some insects are declining but what’s happening to the other 99%?’
Powerful new software platform could reshape biomedical research by making data analysis more accessible
Revealing capillaries and cells in living organs with ultrasound
American College of Physicians awards $260,000 in grants to address equity challenges in obesity care
Researchers from MARE ULisboa discover that the European catfish, an invasive species in Portugal, has a prolonged breeding season, enhancing its invasive potential
Rakesh K. Jain, PhD, FAACR, honored with the 2025 AACR Award for Lifetime Achievement in Cancer Research
Solar cells made of moon dust could power future space exploration
Deporting immigrants may further shrink the health care workforce
Border region emergency medical services in migrant emergency care
Resident physician intentions regarding unionization
Healthy nutrition and physical lifestyle choices lower cancer mortality risk for survivors, new ACS study finds
[Press-News.org] Researchers investigating how to make PET imaging even sweeterMount Sinai Heart leads international research team testing new sugar-based tracer to help in the cardiovascular imaging hunt for inflamed high-risk, vulnerable artery plaques before they rupture