Non-contrast 3D MRI to map heart scarring in children with cardiomyopathy
Official title: Non-contrast 3D T1p Mapping for Myocardial Fibrosis Quantification of Pediatric Cardiomyopathy Patients
Funded at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center · NIH-11243556 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project uses a non-contrast 3D MRI technique to map heart scarring in children with cardiomyopathy without breath-holding or gadolinium dye.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Cedars-Sinai Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Los Angeles, United States) |
| Project start | December 9, 2024 |
| Project end | November 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $248,970 |
| NIH project number | 5R00HL161469-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11243556 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are pediatric patients with cardiomyopathy or other pediatric heart conditions who need MRI screening for fibrosis and who have difficulty with breath-holding.
✕Less likely to help
Children without heart disease, adults (this project focuses on pediatric imaging), or anyone who cannot undergo MRI (for example because of incompatible implants) would not be expected to benefit from participation.
What this research studies
You or your child would get a 3D cardiac MRI that uses T1ρ mapping to look for heart scarring without injecting gadolinium contrast. The scan is designed to work without breath-holding, which may reduce the need for general anesthesia in young children. The higher-resolution 3D images aim to capture scarring in both the left and right ventricles that can be missed with current 2D methods. Researchers will compare these images to current standards to determine how well the method shows fibrosis.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could let clinicians detect and map heart scarring in children more safely and comfortably by avoiding contrast dye and reducing anesthesia needs.
How similar studies have gone: T1ρ and other non-contrast MRI techniques have shown promising early results in adults and preclinical work, but applying 3D non-contrast T1ρ mapping in pediatric cardiomyopathy is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
-
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Los Angeles, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Gunasekaran, Suvai — Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Gunasekaran, Suvai
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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.