With the new technology of HiP-CT, we were able to see, for the first time, that the scarring processes in post-Covid fibrosis are the result of generalised vascular damage caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus
Danny Jonigk
Co-author Dr Claire Walsh (UCL Mechanical Engineering), who co-developed HiP-CT with ESRF, said: “A technique like HiP-CT is a real game-changer for unveiling not only the really fine detail of the tissue damage, but also how it is distributed across a whole organ and relating that back to what is seen in clinic. This technology allows us to understand more about the impact that severe Covid-19 can have on the lungs and will help us when diagnosing and treating pulmonary fibrosis resulting from the virus.”
Co-author Professor Danny Jonigk (RWTH Aachen University Hospital) said: “These heterogeneously distributed, distinct changes at the level of the finest lung lobules cannot be detected via clinical imaging due to the lack of detail in current clinical technology. With the new technology of HiP-CT, we were able to see, for the first time, that the scarring processes in post-Covid fibrosis are the result of generalised vascular damage caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus.” The authors say that treatments such as giving oxygen at an earlier stage of severe Covid-19 might be beneficial for patients with a severe form of the disease in reducing scarring in the lungs.
HiP-CT was developed jointly by UCL and ESRF, a project led by Professor Peter Lee (UCL Mechanical Engineering). He said: “We’re continuing to develop HiP-CT with ESRF to better understand the effects of other diseases on our organs, including the heart and brain, hopefully providing new insights into conditions such as congenital heart disease and Alzheimer’s. HiP-CT is a real breakthrough as it obtains near cellular resolution over entire organs.”
Source: University College London
Source: Healthcare in Europe
