Cardiovascular Diseases

Recent studies have highlighted the significant impact of coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD) on cardiovascular mortality. These advances have been made possible by the development of invasive tools for assessing coronary physiology. However, such methods remain limited to highly selected patient populations, and no non-invasive approach is currently available to assess the coronary microcirculation in vivo in humans, despite its high diagnostic and prognostic value.

The LRB focuses on the non-invasive assessment of CMD using myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) with SPECT (Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography). MPI is a widely used, non-invasive technique for diagnosing and stratifying cardiovascular risk through nuclear stress testing and is routinely performed in millions of patients worldwide.
Working with patient cohorts and registries from the Grenoble-Alpes University Hospital (CHU) and in collaboration with both local and international experts, the LRB is also developing AI tools to enhance the diagnostic and prognostic performance of SPECT myocardial perfusion imaging in the evaluation of coronary microvascular dysfunction.
 

Atherosclerosis Imaging

Atherosclerotic plaques are lesions that develop within the arterial wall. When they form in the coronary arteries that supply the heart, they can lead to the development of occlusive thrombi, which in turn causes myocardial infarction. While stenotic plaques, those that significantly narrow the vessel lumen, can be detected through coronary angiography, this technique does not reliably identify vulnerable plaques, which typically grow eccentrically and only mildly affect the lumen.
Yet these vulnerable plaques are responsible for the majority of acute myocardial infarctions, and their early detection remains a major unmet clinical need.

To address this, the LRB has developed 99mTc-cAbVCAM1-5, an imaging agent designed to target inflammatory processes characteristic of plaque vulnerability. This agent has been evaluated in a Phase I/IIa clinical trial in partnership with Grenoble-Alpes University Hospital (CHU). The laboratory is also developing and testing new imaging agents targeting additional biomarkers of plaque vulnerability, such as tissue factor and the urokinase receptor.
 

Molecular Imaging of Chronic Inflammation

Chronic inflammation is a key contributor to global morbidity and mortality and is considered a major public health issue due to its substantial socio-economic impact. Its early detection and monitoring are therefore critical in clinical care. Diagnosing chronic inflammation at an early, potentially reversible stage can improve treatment outcomes. It could also serve as a prognostic indicator or a tool to monitor therapeutic efficacy.

In recent years, the LRB has developed cAbVCAM1-5, an inflammation imaging agent targeting VCAM-1, a cell adhesion molecule. This agent has been validated in mice for imaging atherosclerosis and hepatic inflammation, and has already been administered to a first patient at Grenoble-Alpes University Hospital (CHU).
The current focus is on evaluating the diagnostic and prognostic potential of this imaging agent in preclinical models of chronic inflammation, including spondyloarthritis, myocardial infarction, myocarditis and neuro-inflammation.