CEDAR v1
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Cell-free DNA Profiling of Coronary Artery Plaques Study
IRAS ID
323420
Contact name
Tian Zhao
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Royal Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
3 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
We are conducting a research study to try help us understand what causes narrowings in blood vessels (called plaques) around the heart. Plaques are what causes disease like angina (chest pain during exertion) and heart attacks.
We know that on a population level, risk factors like diabetes and smoking can contribute to the development of plaques but for any given individual we do not know what makes up their plaque.
Plaques, like all tissues in the body, release fragments of DNA into the blood as cells naturally die. These fragments are called cell-free DNA and has been used in other diseases to understand the underlying cause.
We want to measure cell-free DNA from the blood of patients with plaques. We will use the opportunity during the patients's planned clinical coronary angiogram procedure to take some extra blood for this research purpose. We will also recruit patients not undergoing angiograms as controls by taking some extra blood during their routine blood draw.
We are planning to take extra blood during patient's normal NHS care. We are not planning any additional procedures, changes in treatment, or extra visits. Cell-free DNA is not like reading the normal DNA in cells and therefore cannot detect any genetic abnormalities. The hope is that the information we obtain from this study could help us better understand the causes of narrowing in heart blood vessels and develop new ways to diagnose and guide treatment in the future.
REC name
London - Camberwell St Giles Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
23/PR/0519
Date of REC Opinion
12 May 2023
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion