MAR3S Trial

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  Magnetic Resonance Imaging Using Ultrasmall Superparamagnetic Particles of Iron Oxide in Patients Under Surveillance for Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms to Predict Rupture or Surgical Repair: the MA3RS Trial

• IRAS ID

  108855

• Contact name

  David E Newby

• Sponsor organisation

  Edinburgh Clinical Trials Unit

• Eudract number

  2012-002488-25

• Research summary

  The aorta is the main blood vessel that comes out of the heart and it rapidly distributes blood to the whole body. In some people, the aorta becomes swollen (an aneurysm) and bursts, especially as it passes through the abdomen. These 'abdominal aortic aneurysms' often occur without symptoms and can burst or rupture without warning. This usually leads to death and represents the thirteenth commonest cause of death in the United Kingdom. In this proposal, we wish to study a new technique that can look at the aortic aneurysm using magnetic resonance imaging; a technique that does not require x-rays or radiation. We have recently shown that, using magnetic resonance combined with a new imaging agent, we can detect 'hotspots' of activity in these aneurysms that seem to predict which aneurysms grow rapidly, and are therefore potentially at risk of rupture. We will conduct a study that will invite all patients who are under surveillance because of an aneurysm. We will image these patients using this novel technique and see if we can identify in which patients the aneursyms grow the fastest. This may help identify those patients whose aneurysm is most likely to burst or patients who have an aneurysm that grows so large it requires surgery. This will be important to establish as it will potentially lead to a new way of managing people that could ultimately save lives. This is particularly timely as national screening and surveillance programmes are currently being launched, and many pharmaceutical industries are exploring new treatments to delay the progression of the disease.

• REC name

  East of Scotland Research Ethics Service REC 2

• REC reference

  12/ES/0068

• Date of REC Opinion

  21 Aug 2012

• REC opinion

  Further Information Favourable Opinion