Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 8, 2025
Ultrasound Assessment of Endothelial-Dependent Flow-Mediated Vasodilation of the Brachial Artery in Clinical Research
Published on: October 22, 2014
Quantitative MRI of Endothelial Permeability and (Dys)function in Atherosclerosis
Begoña Lavin1, Marcelo E Andia2, Prakash Saha3
1School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London; BHF Centre of Excellence, Cardiovascular Division, King's College London; Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Department, School of Chemistry, Complutense University.
A new, non-invasive MRI method quantifies early arterial endothelial damage, offering a simpler approach to assess cardiovascular disease risk. This technique measures endothelial leakiness and dysfunction, aiding in precision medicine for atherosclerosis.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Imaging
- Vascular Biology
- Biomarker Discovery
Background:
- Cardiovascular diseases are a leading global cause of mortality.
- Endothelial dysfunction and permeability are early indicators of vascular damage and atherosclerosis.
- Current methods for assessing endothelial health in vivo lack reproducibility and simplicity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a non-invasive, quantitative MRI workflow for assessing arterial endothelial damage.
- To enable the measurement of endothelial leakiness and dysfunction using a single MRI study.
- To provide a clinically applicable tool for early diagnosis and precision medicine in atherosclerosis.
Main Methods:
- A novel MRI protocol combining Late Gadolinium Enhancement (LGE) and Modified Look-Locker Inversion Recovery (MOLLI) T1 mapping for endothelial leakage.
- Anatomic and quantitative blood flow sequences to assess endothelial dysfunction via acetylcholine challenge.
- Application of the workflow in atherosclerotic ApoE-/- mice using a clinical MRI scanner.
Main Results:
- The developed MRI workflow successfully quantified endothelial leakiness and dysfunction in vivo.
- High-spatial-resolution 3D imaging improved vessel wall segmentation, enhancing reproducibility.
- The method provided model-independent quantitative data, simplifying analysis and allowing imaging of mobile vessels.
Conclusions:
- This non-invasive MRI approach offers a reproducible and simplified method for quantifying endothelial damage.
- The technique is clinically translatable, applicable across different scanners and arterial beds.
- This workflow has the potential to advance precision medicine for diagnosing and treating atherosclerosis.
