MBRACE: Metabolic Biomarker Responses in Acute Cerebral Events
Research type
Research Study
Full title
MBRACE: Metabolic Biomarker Responses in Acute Cerebral Events
IRAS ID
171871
Contact name
Alun Davies
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Imperial College London
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
N/A, N/A
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 7 months, 1 days
Research summary
MBRACE: Metabolic Biomarker Responses in Acute Cerebral Events
There are approximately 152 000 strokes in the United Kingdom annually, with 1 in 5 being fatal. The personal and economic costs are substantial. More than half of all stroke survivors are left dependent on others. In 2010/11, 1% of all inpatient episodes in England (2% in Scotland) were due to stroke.
A stroke occurs when the blood supply to the brain is cut off. This is either by a blockage in an artery (ischaemic stroke) or due to a bleed from a blood vessel supplying the brain (haemorrhagic stroke). Approximately 85% are ischaemic.
The treatment options for ischaemic and haemorrhagic strokes are different. The administration of a clot-busting drug (thrombolysis) has revolutionised ischaemic stroke treatment, if patients present to hospital within 4.5 hours. But, administering the clot busting medication to a patient with a haemorrhagic stroke is fatal.
Improving the early diagnosis of stroke with a blood test would dramatically improve patient care, and reduce the risk of receiving thrombolysis. We currently rely on CT scans to exclude bleeding strokes, but they are unable to identify recent ischaemic strokes.
A large scale metabonomic study (study of small molecules in the body) of patients admitted to hospital with suspected acute brain events (including acute stroke and conditions with similar symptoms) will provide further detail on acute biological alterations. Biomarkers identified will aid diagnosis and improve the safety of thrombolysis.
Imperial College NHS Trust has a Hyper Acute Stroke Unit (HASU) based at Charing Cross Hospital that clinically assesses over 1700 patients each year. It has an established Biobank for blood, urine and tissue from patients with vascular disease, and a strong academic background in metabonomic study lead by Professor Nicholson and Professor Holmes. Imperial College London is an ideal setting for patient recruitment.
REC name
London - Camberwell St Giles Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
16/LO/0528
Date of REC Opinion
16 May 2016
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion