Metabolomic Analysis of Biofluids in Limb Ischaemia and Reperfusion

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  Metabolomic Analysis of Biofluids in Limb Ischaemia and Reperfusion

• IRAS ID

  293948

• Contact name

  Madelaine Gimzewska

• Contact email

  m.gimzewska@imperial.ac.uk

• Sponsor organisation

  Imperial College London

• Duration of Study in the UK

  2 years, 3 months, 4 days

• Research summary

  Limb ischaemia is a condition where the blood supply to a leg or arm (limb) is reduced, causing the tissue to become starved of oxygen (ischaemic). Tissues need oxygen to function healthily, and tissues which are starved of oxygen become injured. At present doctors rely on examining the limb to assess the extent of tissue injury; there are no blood tests or scans which reliably indicate tissue damage severity.
  When a limb becomes ischaemic, the cells in the limb adapt their metabolism to manage under oxygen deprived conditions. These changes in metabolism release chemicals which can be detected in the cells and surrounding tissues. When blood flow is restored (termed reperfusion), further cellular metabolic changes occur, releasing chemicals into the tissues. Some basic chemical changes which occur in ischaemic and reperfused tissue are already understood, but these are not yet specific enough to help make management decisions in limb ischaemia. This work aims to use a scientific method based on computational analysis of spectral information generated from analysis of tissue samples to identify and understand the chemical differences between normal, reversibly ischaemic, irreversibly ischaemic and reperfusing limb tissues. The analysis of metabolic changes in limb ischaemia and reperfusion has potential for direct translational impact; enabling the identification of clinical biomarkers, more sensitive detection of ischaemia, improved stratification of tissue viability, indicating potential targets for tailored resuscitative and management strategies, and increased knowledge of potential pharmacotherapy that can target biological pathways involved in ischaemic tissue injury.

• REC name

  East Midlands - Nottingham 1 Research Ethics Committee

• REC reference

  21/EM/0189

• Date of REC Opinion

  1 Oct 2021

• REC opinion

  Further Information Favourable Opinion