Vasculopathy Induced Injury in SCD - 7 Tesla MRI Assessment (VISTA)
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Developing Novel Biomarkers of Vasculopathy-Induced Brain Injury in Childhood Sickle Cell Disease Using Ultra High Field MRI - VISTA Study
IRAS ID
341873
Contact name
Jon Cleary
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
King’s College London
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Sickle cell disease (SCD) is the most prevalent inherited disease, affecting ~18,000 people, with the highest concentration in south London. SCD greatly increases stroke risk, particularly small asymptomatic (silent) cerebral infarcts (SCIs), seen in ~40% by age 18, leading to significant cognitive and motor deficits by adulthood.
A complex mechanism leads to progressive damage within intracranial arteries and cerebral microcirculation. Current imaging techniques underestimate extent of vasculopathy, particularly in small vessels implicated in SCIs, and may be
insensitive to early disease progression.This study will explore ultra-high field 7 Tesla MRI scanning in childhood SCD. These scanners offer significantly higher resolution, enabling direct visualisation and flow measurements within tiny arteries usually invisible on conventional imaging. 7T MRI is also superior to conventional MRI in assessing microvascular disease-induced parenchymal damage. This higher resolution may allow better understanding of disease mechanisms and identify early disease markers.
Our research team combines expertise in neuroradiology, neurology, haematology, and advanced imaging science to tackle a significant health issue affecting the local patient community.
This research aims to develop novel biomarkers of vasculopathy-induced brain injury in childhood sickle cell disease using ultra-high field MRI. The endpoint is to gather essential preliminary data for larger biomarker development studies, ultimately identifying novel early disease biomarkers for therapeutic trials after data collection from the planned study population.
The study will recruit 33 children including young people (age 7-16 years) with confirmed SCD. There will be 11 age-matched healthy controls, and 22 children and young people with SCD recruited to this prospective observational study. The majority of patients will be recruited within 12 months. 3T and 7T MRI scan data will be combined with routine clinical data. In addition, testing and developing imaging techniques requires studying healthy human volunteers throughout the study period.
REC name
Wales REC 5
REC reference
25/WA/0119
Date of REC Opinion
24 Apr 2025
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion