Established in 2010 as a research core within the Section of Cardiovascular Medicine, the Yale Translational Research Imaging Center (Y-TRIC) streamlines translational research by centralizing state-of-the-art imaging facilities, preclinical research space, and surgical suites all under one roof. The center is directed by Albert Sinusas, MD, professor of medicine (cardiovascular medicine), radiology and biomedical imaging, and biomedical engineering.
Over the years, Y-TRIC has bridged the gap between researchers from diverse fields, from molecular biologists, engineers, neuroscientists, and orthopedics to those in cardiovascular and cardiopulmonary medicine. The center not only provides expertise in preclinical modeling but also guides doctors and researchers in selecting the most appropriate imaging technology. Y-TRIC’s imaging resources include a host of medical imaging devices such as ultrasound, digital fluoroscopy, computed tomography (CT), and single photon emission tomography (SPECT) scanners for imaging both small and large animals.
As testament to their commitment to embracing state-of-the-art technology, Y-TRIC recently replaced their original scanner from 2010—a hybrid SPECT/CT, one of only 10 in the world—with the first next-generation hybrid SPECT/CT imaging system in North America. This new scanner, installed in October 2023, boasts 360-degree imaging capabilities, allowing it to superimpose physiological and molecular biologic images on anatomic ones. Uniquely, this scanner has novel high-sensitivity detectors that can simultaneously capture different emission from multiple radiotracers in a subject, thanks to its superior energy discrimination. Another striking feature is its ability to detect higher energy “theragnostic” radiotracers, special isotopes that provide diagnostic and therapeutic information. This development in imaging technology holds immense potential for researchers and clinicians alike.
Y-TRIC is not just about revolutionary molecular imaging. The center's evolution has also seen significant strides in therapy delivery. Leveraging their advanced ultrasound suite and interventional facilities, researchers can now deliver therapies directly to the organ of interest. Embedding therapies into special materials such as hydrogels or polymers, further allows for a controlled, gradual release of medication to the desired target tissue. This method has been notably applied to the case of treating injured heart areas. Specifically, researchers at Y-TRIC have studied whether they can use these techniques to increase the contractility of heart muscle and inhibit cardiac enzymes. Current trials of this therapy have focused on preclinical models and mark a significant leap in cardiac treatment.
The center is also involved in performing postmortem “virtual autopsies” in patients who have died of cardiovascular or cardiopulmonary disease using whole-body CT imaging to guide autopsies or as an alternative to traditional autopsies. Additionally, researchers at the center perform high-resolution 3-dimensional imaging of excised human organs, directed at evaluating and optimizing organs for future transplantation.
The center's achievements are not limited to the heart. With the help of their interventional suite and hybrid SPECT-CT scanner, interventional radiologists are pioneering treatments for liver cancer and fibrosis.
Y-TRIC’s prowess can also be credited to its dedicated team. Aside from Sinusas, Associate Director Stephanie Thorn, MSc, PhD, recently appointed as assistant professor of medicine (cardiovascular medicine), plays a key role in the day-to-day operations and experimental protocol development.
The center is also the home of NHLBI-funded T32 program in multimodality molecular and translational cardiovascular imaging which supports the training of early career scientists and has also nurtured talents such as John Stendahl, MD, PhD, and Attila Feher, MD, PhD, both recently appointed as assistant professors of medicine (cardiovascular medicine), along with Nabil Boutagy, PhD, who has stayed at Yale in the pharmacology department.
“Y-TRIC is a unique beacon of innovation that bridges the gap between basic research and tangible medical solutions and is engaged in the education and mentorship of future cardiovascular innovators,” stated Eric J. Velazquez, MD, Robert W. Berliner Professor of Medicine and chief of Yale Cardiovascular Medicine.
With its state-of-the-art technology, esteemed professionals, and pioneering methodologies, the future of translational research at Yale looks bright.
The Department of Internal Medicine at Yale School of Medicine is among the nation's premier departments, bringing together an elite cadre of clinicians, investigators, educators, and staff in one of the world's top medical schools. To learn more, visit Internal Medicine.