Carotid PET-MRI study
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Development of a protocol for in vivo measurement of Carotid Plaque Inflammation with PET-MRI (Proof of Concept study)
IRAS ID
311733
Contact name
Jessica Redgrave
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Sheffield Teaching Hospital NHS FT
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 4 months, 30 days
Research summary
The most common cause of stroke is due to a process called atherosclerosis in which fatty material is deposited in the walls of arteries. This can build up in certain locations and some patients who’ve had a stroke are found to have a bulge of fatty material in the wall of their carotid artery (the main artery to the brain). This bulge (called a plaque) can become inflamed just before a stroke occurs which can lead to the plaque bursting, releasing fatty material into the bloodstream and causing a clot. An operation is sometimes done to remove the plaque as in some cases, this can significantly reduce the person’s risk of having another stroke.
Our research group is looking at new treatments to reduce inflammation in the carotid plaque in the hope that in future this will replace the need for the operation. First we would like to be able to measure the amount of inflammation in the carotid artery wall after a stroke or mini stroke and assess what happens to this over time. Then we hope to perform a clinical trial where we give patients an anti-inflammatory drug and measure how this affects the inflammation and whether it reduces risk of future strokes and mini strokes.
The University of Sheffield recently acquired a new scanner (PET-MRI) that gives us the opportunity to measure the amount of inflammation in artery walls. We would like to perform this scan in a small group of patients with recent stroke or TIA, who have a carotid artery plaque, to see if we can obtain sufficient quality pictures to be able to use it in a future clinical trial.
REC name
Yorkshire & The Humber - South Yorkshire Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
22/YH/0209
Date of REC Opinion
17 Nov 2022
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion