Vulnerable Plaque

Carotid artery stenosis is a major cause of ischemic stroke. However, many strokes occur in patients with only mild-to-moderate stenosis. Evidence shows that it is not the degree of narrowing, but the "vulnerability" of the plaque-its internal composition-that determines rupture risk. High-risk (vulnerable) plaques have a large lipid-rich necrotic core, a thin fibrous cap, and intraplaque hemorrhage. Statins can lower cholesterol and stabilize plaques, but some patients still experience progression or recurrent events. PCSK9 inhibitors (such as evolocumab and alirocumab) are a new class of lipid-lowering drugs that reduce LDL cholesterol more strongly than statins alone. They may also have direct effects on the artery wall, improving plaque stability. Whether they can remodel vulnerable carotid plaques and how early this can be detected remains unclear. This study uses high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (HR-MRI), a non-invasive technique that visualizes plaque internal structure-including the lipid core, fibrous cap, and hemorrhage-to track changes over time. Purpose: The RESCUE study aims to determine whether adding a PCSK9 inhibitor to standard statin therapy can remodel and stabilize vulnerable carotid plaques, and to detect these changes early using HR-MRI. Design: This is a single-center, prospective, randomized, controlled, open-label trial with blinded endpoint evaluation (PROBE design). 120 adults with carotid vulnerable plaques will be enrolled at Beijing Tsinghua Chang Gung Hospital and randomly assigned 1:1 to: (1) Experimental group (n=60): statin PLUS PCSK9 inhibitor (subcutaneous injection); (2) Control group (n=60): statin alone. Follow-up is 24 months. HR-MRI is performed at baseline, 6, 12, and 24 months. Blood samples are collected for lipid and inflammatory markers. HR-MRI analysis is performed by blinded radiologists. Primary Outcome: Change in lipid-rich necrotic core volume by HR-MRI at 12 and 24 months. Secondary Outcomes: Fibrous cap thickness, intraplaque hemorrhage, remodeling index, LDL-C levels, inflammatory markers, and clinical events (stroke, TIA, cardiovascular death) over 24 months. Status: Not yet recruiting. Planned start: January 2027. Conducted at Beijing Tsinghua Chang Gung Hospital, Beijing, China.

ICECAP is a multi-centre, prospective, single-arm, interventional, traditional feasibility clinical investigation to evaluate the efficacy and safety of intra-coronary cryotherapy on vulnerable or high-risk plaque (HRP), using the CryoTherapy System (CTS). The study aims to enroll 25 patients with symptomatic coronary artery disease, successfully treated for their culprit lesion and with presence of at least one HRP lesion in another vessel. Eligible patients will undergo cryotherapy during a planned procedure. Near-infrared spectrometry (NIRS and Optical Coherence Tomography imaging will be used during baseline procedure, and during a 9 months follow visit. The primary endpoint is reduction of plaque burden measured as 30% reduction in maxLCBI4mm as measured by NIRS at 9 months post procedure.

The goal of this clinical trial is to find out whether treating vulnerable plaques in the coronary arteries with a drug-coated balloon can make them less dangerous than using standard medication alone. The study includes adults with acute coronary syndrome (a type of heart problem caused by reduced blood flow in the coronary arteries). The main questions the study aims to answer are: * Does the drug-coated balloon reduce the amount of fat inside the plaque more than medication alone? * Is this treatment safe for patients? Participants will: * Undergo imaging of their coronary arteries during their planned heart procedure (PCI) * Be randomly assigned to receive either a drug-coated balloon treatment or no extra treatment * Undergo a heart scan (CT scan of the coronary arteries) within 2 weeks and again around 9 months after the procedure. * Undergo a second heart catherization 9 months later to examine changes in the plaque.