By GREGORY ZELLER //
A cutting-edge artificial-intelligence technology and a major-league federal grant are propelling Stony Brook Medicine to the front lines in the wars against heart disease and diabetic kidney disease.
The AI tech is the HeartFlow Plaque Analysis, designed by California-based Heartflow Inc. to help physicians to more accurately assess and understand coronary artery blockages associated with heart disease.
The grant – four years, $2.76 million, via the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases – will support an investigation of cell-to-cell communication within the kidneys, conducted by Renaissance School of Medicine Professor Sandeep Mallipattu, chief of the school’s Division of Nephrology & Hypertension.
Stony Brook Medicine is the first healthcare provider on Long Island to employ the HeartFlow Plaque Analysis, which combines a traditional computerized-tomography scan with advanced AI algorithms to create a virtual map of coronary arteries – an unprecedented evaluation of blood flowing to and from a patient’s ticker, according to cardiologist Michael Park.
“This innovative AI technology offers comprehensive assessment of a patient’s coronary artery disease with details that were previously unattainable with standard cardiac CT,” noted Park, a leading expert in non-invasive cardiac imaging. “With this level of detail, we can accurately describe the amount of cholesterol and plaque in a patient’s arteries to develop a personalized treatment plan … designed to reduce cardiovascular risk, prevent complications and improve our patient’s quality of life.”
That’s a potentially significant milestone in the fight against heart disease, which according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention remains the leading cause of death among U.S. adults. Heart disease develops when cholesterol plaque accumulates in the coronary arteries, restricting blood flow to the heart and often leading to heart attacks and other life-threatening events.
Needless to say, early detection and treatment is tantamount to patient survival. Enter the state-of-the-art HeartFlow Plaque Analysis, now in use at Stony Brook Medicine facilities in Stony Brook, Commack and Riverhead.
“We are continuously pushing the boundaries of innovation in the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of heart disease,” noted Professor of Medicine Hal Skopicki, co-director of the Stony Brook Heart Institute and Stony Brook Medicine’s Ambassador Charles A. Gargano Chair of Cardiology. “By incorporating this cutting-edge AI technology … we are raising the standard of care and ensuring the best possible outcomes for our patients through early and precise intervention.”
Sandeep Mallipattu: Communication is key.
Meanwhile, over in the Division of Nephrology & Hypertension, Mallipattu and his team are busily leveraging their new NIH funding in a comprehensive effort to stave off kidney failure associated with diabetes.
The National Kidney Foundation notes that nearly one-third of patients with Type 1 diabetes and up to 40 percent of those with Type 2 diabetes will eventually experience kidney failure – but according to Mallipattu, a deep dive into how kidney cells communicate with each other may unlock new methods to prevent diabetes-related kidney disease (a.k.a. diabetic nephropathy).
“The major cause of kidney disease in the United States is diabetes,” the nephrologist noted. “Therefore, understanding mechanisms of how diabetes can cause kidney disease is critical to identifying novel therapeutics to reverse disease.”
Specifically, the team in the Mallipattu Lab will investigate specific aspects of a novel “signaling cascade” between two major cell types – podocytes, essentially a kidney filtration barrier, and proximal tubule cells, key to electrolyte management and other metabolic activity in the kidney – to determine how they contribute to overall kidney health.
By better understanding these signal exchanges, the researchers hope to unlock new methods of safeguarding kidney functions.
“We postulate that the podocytes can signal the proximal tubule to precondition it against injury and slow the progression of [diabetic kidney disease],” Mallipattu added.
