I-Corps - Translation Potential of Assessment of Ischemic Stroke with Imaging Biomarker

The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is the development of an imaging biomarker technology for assessment of brain damage after stroke. Currently, stroke is a leading cause of disability and death worldwide with approximately 15 million new cases annually. Motor deficits occur in approximately 80% of stroke patients, and stroke survivors have a 200% increased risk of developing dementia.

However, there is an unmet need for a stroke assessment tool for preclinical and clinical research as well as for clinicians evaluating stroke patients. The proposed technology is a noninvasive method for assessing post-stroke damage in the brain utilizing imaging. This stoke assessment technology may be used for both clinical diagnosis and therapy progress assessment in stroke patients, which may improve research and patients’ outcomes.

This I-Corps project utilizes experiential learning coupled with first-hand investigation of the industry ecosystem to assess the translation potential of molecular imaging probes to identify fatty acid metabolism and protease activity in the brain to assess stroke damage and track healing. Following an ischemic stroke, myeloid cells in the infarcted region must clear a large volume of lipid debris due to the abundance of myelin within the brain.

However, lipid processing mechanisms within these cells become overwhelmed, resulting in the formation of foam cells. Foam cells are dysfunctional, neurotoxic, and drive a chronic inflammatory response that contributes to secondary neurodegeneration in the weeks and months following stroke. Tracking foam cell formation and clearance would greatly facilitate the development of effective treatments.

In addition, recent research has identified increased fatty acid metabolism and protease activity as hallmark features of foam cells in the brain after stroke. Molecular imaging probes have been developed to identify fatty acid metabolism and protease activity in the brain after stroke. These imaging biomarkers may be used to assess stroke damage and track recovery in preclinical and clinical research, as well as for clinicians evaluating stroke patients.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.