Glycolic Acid-Guided Intelligent Neurovascular Imaging: A Cross-Scale Platform for Real-Time Neuroprotection and...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Medical Imaging
• Radiochemistry

Background:

• Acute ischemic stroke requires rapid interventions to restore blood flow and protect brain tissue within a limited time frame.
• Current treatment paradigms often involve a delay between diagnosis and therapeutic intervention, potentially limiting efficacy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a unified theranostic platform integrating adaptive imaging, decision-making, and immediate neuroprotective and micro-dosimetric interventions for acute ischemic stroke.
• To assess the synergistic effects of the platform's components in a preclinical stroke model.

Main Methods:

• A topology-preserving MR-PET imaging engine utilizing adaptive sampling and low-rank priors to reduce acquisition time while preserving vascular structure.
• Immediate post-reperfusion administration of glycolic acid to mitigate excitotoxicity and stabilize mitochondrial function.
• Micro-dosimetry with trace doses of neutron-activated 90Y2O3 microspheres for targeted beta irradiation and metabolic modulation.

Main Results:

• The MR-PET engine achieved near real-time imaging with high topological fidelity, reducing scan time by nearly 50%.
• Glycolic acid significantly reduced intracellular calcium influx and decreased infarct volume by 38% in vivo.
• Micro-radioembolization resulted in a 42% increase in neuronal survival compared to standard recanalization.

Conclusions:

• The integrated theranostic platform demonstrates synergistic efficacy, effectively bridging diagnostic imaging and immediate therapeutic intervention for acute ischemic stroke.
• This closed-loop system reframes MR-PET from a passive diagnostic tool into an active, decision-driven theranostic system.
• The findings provide a strong foundation for future clinical translation and human trials.