A New Treatment Technique: Collagen Imaging

A myocardial infarction, or heart attack, affects more than 800,000 people in the United States each year

"Previously, our collaborators could only detect the target of the therapy," explains Angel, "while we can actually detect the therapeutic collagen peptide

In this study, Angel's team used collagen hydrogels to study how the incoming collagen affects and interacts with heart disease scars

Collagen is a well-known protein often used by diet and skincare companies

"This is a very specific sequence compared to the sequence shown on the label of commercially available collagen supplements," Angel explained

Using an injectable collagen material, the BEaTS team developed a therapeutic material that can be localized to the area of ​​a heart attack

To observe the effect of the introduced therapeutic collagen, Angel used MALDI-IMS, matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization imaging mass spectrometry

"Mass spectrometry detects ions, a molecule that is positively or negatively charged, like a small magnet

One detection method is IMS, or Imaging Mass Spectrometry

In the study, laboratory mice experienced an experimental heart attack

Angel and her team's work provides a new technique for studying biomaterial injection

In the future, IMS may be used where treatment is most effective and to determine the appropriate location and timing of delivery

"You usually need some type of tag or known molecule to target

Combined with a greater understanding of how collagen dynamics affects heart function, this could help researchers develop new therapies that make the heart more functional after a heart attack
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Angel's goal, she said, is to continue developing new ways to see and treat disease
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