[Brainmap]: Christopher Nguyen, PhD - Assessing Myocardial Regeneration Therapy for Chronic Myocardial Infarction using in vivo Diffusion Tensor CMR

Wednesday, December 6, 2017 - 12:00 to 13:00
149 13th Street (Building 149), Room 2204

Christopher Nguyen, PhD

MGH Cardiovascular Research Center /

Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging

 

Abstract:

The objective of the study was to reveal the fiber microstructural response with diffusion tensor cardiac magnetic resonance (DT-CMR) after intramyocardial exosomes secreted by cardiosphere-derived cells (CDC) in chronic porcine myocardial infarction. Pigs four weeks post-MI underwent intramyocardial delivery of human CDC and placebo in a randomized placebo-controlled study. Four weeks after injection, CMR imaging revealed viability improved in the CDC group while myocardial fiber architecture and cardiac function were preserved (and in some rare cases improved). In the placebo group, both fiber architecture and cardiac function declined while viability did not change. Furthermore, DT-CMR added significant (p < 0.01) value to conventional viability imaging when predicting cardiac function. Taken together, details of tissue architecture reveal a unique tissue characterization that can further assess the efficacy of myocardial regenerative treatment beyond conventional viability imaging.

About the Speaker:

Dr. Nguyen is a cardiovascular MRI physicist focused on the development and clinical application of novel MRI techniques to evaluate the cardiovascular system. His current research projects include developing MRI techniques aimed at probing myocardial tissue microstructure, metabolism, and function to evaluate novel myocardial regenerative therapies for heart failure. Dr. Nguyen received his PhD in Biomedical Engineering from the University of California Los Angeles in 2015 as a NIH Ruth L. Kirschstein NRSA pre-doctoral fellow. He went on to complete his postdoctoral training at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Subsequently in early 2017, he was promoted to faculty at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in the Department of Biomedical Sciences and Biomedical Imaging Research Institute. In October 2017 after receiving the early career NIH NIBIB Trailblazer Award, Dr. Nguyen joined the MGH Cardiovascular Research Center faculty with an affiliated faculty position in the MGH/HST Martinos Center.