Myopathies & inflammation

Overview

We use MR to assess heart function as well as key aspects of cardiovascular disease. MR techniques such as T1-mapping allow us to quantify processes such as fibrosis. We have pioneered this work in assessing severity of aortic stenosis, both of the valve itself & throughout the myocardium.

Our group has pioneered the use of novel MR contrast agents to image processes directly, such as inflammation. Using iron-oxide based MR contrast agents (USPIOs), we have directly imaged inflammation within abdominal aortic aneurysms to help predict aneurysm rupture & understand growth patterns within these aneurysms. We have applied this technique to look at macrophage infiltration within the myocardium during heart remodelling following myocardial infarction & in a range of cardiomyopathies.

Finally we can image myocardial inflammation using the PET tracer 18F-fluciclatide to image integrin expression following myocardial infarction post myocardial infarction.

Lead myopathies & inflammation researcher 

• Prof David Newby

To discuss new research & collaborative imaging projects with Edinburgh Imaging, please contact:

Research staff with a myopathies & inflammation focus

• Prof Edwin van Beek
• Prof Marc Dweck
• Alison Fletcher
• Dr Gillian Macnaught
• Prof Scott Semple