NIH CCR2 AAA Study

Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) Clinical Trial

Official title: CCR2 Targeted Molecular Imaging and Treatment of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms

Status Recruiting

Clinical Trial Summary

Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a degenerative vascular disease, which is typically asymptomatic until rupture, resulting in high mortality. AAAs are more prevalent in men over age 65, though rupture is disproportionately higher in women. Due to nonlinear and unpredictable aortic dilatation, it is challenging to predict the AAA rupture using clinical diagnostics based on morphology. No medical therapy is used clinically to treat AAA, and there is an unmet need for clinically translatable, molecular biomarkers of AAA disease activity for surveillance and patient-specific management. The goal of this proposal is to develop a new approach for the diagnosis and targeted therapy of AAA.

Clinical Trial Description

This project addresses the absence of a reliable diagnostic modality and medical therapy to prevent abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) growth and rupture in patients, leading to high mortality in those over the age of 65 years old. Due to the pathogenic role of the monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 / C-C chemokine receptor type 2 (MCP-1/CCR2) axis in AAA, we propose to study the ability of 64Cu-DOTA-ECL1i PET/CT to predict the murine AAA rupture and serve as a companion diagnostic to assess CCR2 molecular therapy of murine AAA. We will perform the first-in-patient evaluation of 64Cu-DOTA-ECL1i PET/CT to image and detect AAA inflammation in a preoperative setting and acquire key biological information from AAA specimens collected at the time of open AAA repair, in order to assess the potential of 64Cu-DOTA-ECL1i PET in the management of AAA patients.

Preclinical and clinical research demonstrated that monocyte chemotactic protein-1/ chemokine (C-C motif) receptor 2 (MCP-1/CCR2) plays an important role in the pathogenesis of AAAs. This axis specifically promotes AAA formation and development by mediating the recruitment of circulating LY6Chigh monocytes and infiltration of macrophages, which leads to the degradation of elastic and collagen. In AAA mouse models, the genetic depletion or specific inhibition of CCR2 significantly decreased the production of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and formation of aneurysms, suggesting the potential of CCR2 as a biomarker for AAA imaging and pre-screening for targeted intervention.

We have developed a specific CCR2 binding radiotracer, 64Cu-DOTA-ECL1i, for targeted imaging of CCR2 positive pro-inflammatory monocytes/macrophages, in multiple animal inflammatory models using positron emission tomography (PET). This investigational PET tracer is being used under Exploratory IND 137620 for research imaging studies in human subjects. In patients with inflammatory diseases, 64Cu-DOTA-ECL1i PET revealed specific detection of CCR2+ cells in inflammatory tissues. In a rat AAA model, 64Cu-DOTA-ECL1i PET revealed specific localization within the aneurysm, as well as sensitive detection of CCR2+ inflammatory cells. Human AAA specimens demonstrated specific binding of 64Cu-DOTA-ECL1i to CCR2 by autoradiography. Thus, we hypothesize that 64Cu-DOTA-ECL1i detect CCR2+ cells mediated aneurysmal activity and can be utilized for AAA molecular imaging. We propose to assess the potential of 64Cu-DOTA-ECL1i as a biomarker for AAA patients imaging. ;

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA)
• Aneurysm
• Aortic Aneurysm
• Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal
• No Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (Non-AAA)

• NCT number: NCT04586452
• Study type: Interventional
• Source: Washington University School of Medicine
• Contact: Ashley Cosentino, RN, BSN
• Phone: (314) 362-6257
• Email: ashley.cosentino@wustl.edu
• Status: Recruiting
• Phase: Early Phase 1
• Start date: February 17, 2021
• Completion date: June 2025