How a new PET tracer spots heart scarring
Official title: Mechanism of F-18-fluorodeoxyglucarate accrual in myocardial injury
Funded at University of Oklahoma Hlth Sciences Ctr · NIH-11311850 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at whether a PET tracer made from FDG can reveal early scarring in injured hearts.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Oklahoma Hlth Sciences Ctr NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Oklahoma City, United States) |
| Project start | April 1, 2024 |
| Project end | March 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $362,500 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HL169530-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11311850 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates would be people with recent heart injury or conditions that put them at risk for cardiac fibrosis, such as myocardial infarction, myocarditis, or cardiomyopathy.
✕Less likely to help
People without heart injury or with longstanding, irreversible scarring or those who cannot undergo PET imaging are unlikely to benefit directly from this work.
What this research studies
The team makes a PET imaging tracer called 18F-fluoroglucaric acid (18F-FGA) from commonly used 18F-FDG and studies how it binds to a protein tied to early heart fibrosis. They use laboratory molecular tests and imaging in preclinical models and tissue samples to see where the tracer accumulates after heart injury. Results will be compared to current methods like MRI and biopsy to determine if 18F-FGA can spot fibrosis earlier and more sensitively. If promising, this work could support moving the tracer into human PET imaging studies.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could let doctors detect reversible heart scarring earlier with PET imaging and guide treatments to prevent heart failure.
How similar studies have gone: Preclinical studies by the team have shown 18F-FGA can detect myocardial infarction and drug-induced cardiomyopathy in models, but human use is still novel.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Oklahoma Hlth Sciences Ctr
Oklahoma City, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Awasthi, Vibhudutta — University of Oklahoma Hlth Sciences Ctr
- Study coordinator: Awasthi, Vibhudutta
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.