DETECT
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Differential metabolic signature of stroke patients undergoing thrombolysis compared to healthy controls
IRAS ID
231982
Contact name
Thomas Krieg
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Cambridge University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and University of Cambridge
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Currently, there is no reliable biomarker for stroke, meaning that treatment is often delayed and patients are often left with a disability. Stroke is one of the largest causes of mortality (death) and morbidity (disease) in the UK and affects between 120 and 150 people per 100,000 population. This has huge economic implications, with around £9 billion a year being spent on stroke in the UK alone, and health and social care costs accounting for half of this amount. Productivity losses (i.e. income costs) are estimated at £1.33 billion and benefit payments total £840 million per year.
Previous studies involving heart attack patients have suggested that succinate (a biomarker) levels rise after reperfusion (reoxygenation) of the heart tissue and in the context of ischaemia (i.e. when a restriction of blood supply to the heart has caused a heart attack and the tissue has been reoxygenated to improve blood flow around the body). Malonate is a therapeutic option to block this rise in succinate and reduce any potential resulting damage. Animal studies support these findings and have further shown that malonate prevents ischaemic brain damage and reduces the succinate increase in tissue.
However, there is currently no pre-clinical data for the release of succinate into blood, nor for stroke. This study aims to explore whether elevated succinate levels are present in stroke patients having thrombolysis (brain reperfusion). If we can show that elevated succinate levels are attributed to stroke (and not a result of thrombolysis), it might be possible to identify a therapeutic intervention at baseline for these patients and this reduce disability in all stroke patients, and healthcare costs in turn.
REC name
Yorkshire & The Humber - Bradford Leeds Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
17/YH/0403
Date of REC Opinion
9 Feb 2018
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion