Using ultrasound therapy to improve blood flow and save heart muscle during heart attack

Dr Prajith Jeyaprakash, University of Sydney

2021 PhD Scholarship

Years funded: 2022-2024

Current, standard-of-care for life-threatening heart attack (STEMI, ST elevation myocardial Infarction) uses stents to open large heart arteries blocked with blood clot. However, in half of patients with successful stent procedure, clot still blocks micro-vessels (MicroVascular Obstruction, MVO) causing poorer prognosis. To date, no intervention has successfully improved MVO. Sonothrombolysis (STL) is the repurposing of an existing diagnostic tool to treat STEMI. It uses high power ultrasound (sono) to break (lysis) micro-vessel clot (thrombo) whilst infusing a contrast agent. Previous animal studies and a recent single centre human study showed that STL salvaged more heart muscle by reducing MVO, however larger human trials are needed to prove safety and efficacy. Thus, the research team of Dr Jeyaprakash will perform a trial assessing STL in STEMI in 3 Australian hospitals. It is anticipate that STL will reduce muscle damage and improve outcomes. In future, STL can be delivered in ambulances to treat STEMI early, reduce heart muscle damage and ultimately save more lives.