Luna Wins Grant to Explore New Diagnostics for Heart Attack Prevention

The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute has awarded Luna Innovations a grant to develop a new diagnostic agent that could improve the diagnosis of coronary artery disease, a condition that causes most heart attacks.

Luna is investigating a carbon nanomaterial-based contrast agent, using its Trimetasphere platform, which may provide the ability to use MRI to reveal plaque buildup in the arterial walls of the heart and provide fine structural detail of the plaque, the company said.

The company’s contrast agent under development is expected to give physicians improved diagnostic performance and safety over current gadolinium-containing contrast agents used in MRI. Trimetasphere-based contrast agents also may help prevent Nephrogenic Systemic Fibrosis-Nephrogenic Fibrosing Dermopathy, which has been attributed to contrast agents used in MRI procedures.