A deep phenotyping platform for biomarker discovery and drug target identification in coronary artery disease
Participants enrolled to date
Integrated multi-omics platforms
Executed pharma research agreements
01 · The unmet need
Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death globally. The identification and targeting of modifiable cardiovascular risk factors, established in the 1960s, has led to significant improvements in patient outcomes. However, the model remains incomplete and a substantial proportion of patients remain invisible to standard screening until their first catastrophic event.
There is a critical and unmet need to identify the biological mechanisms driving disease earlier, enabling more precise prevention, diagnosis, and intervention.
of heart attack patients have zero traditional risk factors, invisible to standard screening
of women presenting with first acute coronary syndrome have 0 or 1 standard modifiable risk factor
estimated global prevalence of CAD. Even the 'missed' subgroup represents an enormous public health burden
cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death globally, accounting for one-third of all deaths worldwide
BioHEART is the scientific engine designed to bring the cancer paradigm to coronary artery disease. It links disease phenotype to underlying biology at scale, enabling earlier detection and more precisely targeted intervention.
Oncology, a proven model
Cardiovascular disease today
02 · The platform
BioHEART is a prospective, longitudinal, deeply phenotyped cohort of participants undergoing CT Coronary Angiography (CTCA) for suspected CAD (ACTRN12618001322224). It is one of the most comprehensively characterised cardiovascular cohorts globally, integrating clinical data, advanced imaging, and multi-omics profiling into a sophisticated living biobank.
The platform is designed for both unbiased discovery of novel biomarkers and drug targets, and validation of findings from internal and partner programmes, linking disease phenotype directly to underlying biology at scale.
Platform 01
Precise volumetric quantification of coronary plaque burden and composition via CTCA, enabling accurate disease stratification rather than relying on clinical events as proxies.
Platform 02
Ten-plus integrated molecular profiling platforms across genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, lipidomics, and immunophenotyping, applied to a richly phenotyped cohort.
Platform 03
Preserved viable cellular samples including Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells (PBMCs) and Endothelial Colony-Forming Cells (ECFCs), enabling functional biology that plasma-only biobanks cannot support.
03 · Cohort and data depth
Approximately 5,000 participants enrolled to date across multiple Sydney tertiary hospitals, with a target of 10,000. Embedded in busy clinical services for efficiency and real-world relevance. Participants are followed longitudinally with outcome event tracking and electronic medical record access.
Cohort architecture
Discovery cohort
Maximum molecular phenotyping depth concentrated here, the primary discovery engine
Replicate cohort
Secondary validation cohort for reproducibility and increased per-omic sample size
Extended cohort
Supplementary groups for extended analyses; ongoing recruitment continues
Multi-omics coverage
Genomics
Whole Exome Sequencing (WES), Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS), SNP arrays (688,032 variants)
Transcriptomics
mRNA sequencing, miRNA sequencing, single-cell RNA-seq with CITE-seq and ATAC-seq (PBMCs and ECFCs)
Proteomics
High- and low-abundance plasma (100% of discovery cohort); ECFC proteomics
Metabolomics
HILIC and AMIDE plasma platforms (Hydrophilic Interaction Liquid Chromatography, 99% coverage) across both major cohorts
Lipidomics
Directed Multiple Reaction Monitoring (dMRM) targeting 823 lipid species (99%); Extracellular Vesicle (EV) lipidomics via LC-MS
Immunophenotyping
Mass cytometry (CyTOF) for detailed leucocyte phenotyping at single-cell resolution
Coagulomics
Lysyl oxidase (LOX), TRAIL, Osteoprotegerin (OPG), IL-18 panels (97–99% of discovery cohort)
Plus
Heavy metals, fatty acids, glycomics, telomere length. Comprehensive molecular coverage.
04 · Biobank and imaging
Most cardiovascular biobanks collect plasma or serum, valuable but not fully reflective of intracellular signalling. BioHEART preserves viable cellular and membrane biology, getting closer to the dysregulated signalling central to CAD susceptibility.
Blood products
Serum, plasma, whole blood, buffy coat, and erythrocytes. Comprehensive fractionation from ~30 mL per participant collected at the time of CTCA enrolment.
PBMCs
Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells (PBMCs) preserved for scRNA-seq, ATAC-seq, and iPSC derivation, enabling single-cell and epigenomic interrogation.
ECFCs
Endothelial Colony-Forming Cells cultured from patient blood. A living vascular model enabling direct interrogation of redox biology, angiogenesis, and mitochondrial function.
Advanced CTCA imaging
CT Coronary Angiography data provide volumetric quantification of total calcified and non-calcified plaque, assessed using established and novel scoring systems. This enables accurate, objective stratification of disease severity, a significant methodological advantage over studies that rely on clinical events as proxies for disease status.
05 · Value to pharmaceutical partners
The case for partnering with BioHEART is straightforward: access to a uniquely deep, rigorously collected, already-existing dataset, faster and at a fraction of the cost of building a comparable resource, delivered by a team with deep domain expertise across cardiovascular biology, imaging, and multi-omics analytics.
01
~5,000 patients already enrolled with multi-omics data in hand. No cohort build, no years of recruitment. Immediate access to a deeply phenotyped population ready for hypothesis testing or unbiased discovery.
02
The integration of imaging-defined disease severity with ten-plus molecular platforms, including living cellular models, provides a biological resolution that standard biobanks and registry studies cannot match.
03
Mechanistic validation in a well-phenotyped human cohort, with functional cellular biology, reduces the gap between animal model findings and clinical proof-of-concept, de-risking progression decisions.
04
Imaging-quantified disease burden enables more precise definition of cases and controls than event-based classification, improving statistical power and reducing noise in biomarker and target discovery.
05
Data access frameworks have been tested across multiple agreements with a Top 10 global pharmaceutical company. Governance structures are in place, reducing legal and operational friction for new partners.
06
Delivered by a multidisciplinary team spanning clinical cardiology, multi-omics, advanced imaging, bioinformatics, and translational research, with a track record of high-impact publications and industry collaboration.
06 · Partnership
BioHEART's industry-tested governance and data access model enables rapid, flexible engagement, without the time and cost of building a new cohort.
BioHEART has executed multiple research agreements with a single Top 10 global pharmaceutical company across three separate divisions. Validating the depth, quality, and commercial relevance of the platform from multiple scientific perspectives. Repeat engagement of this kind is a direct endorsement of the cohort's value and the team's ability to deliver on complex, industry-grade research.
Collaborative research agreements
Access to biobank samples, anonymised clinical and imaging data, and analytical infrastructure under governance-compliant frameworks.
Biomarker and target discovery
Hypothesis-driven or unbiased interrogation of multi-omic data to identify and validate novel drug targets and diagnostic biomarkers against imaging-defined disease.
Diagnostics and endpoint development
Co-development of imaging-based surrogate endpoints and companion diagnostics, supported by quantitative CTCA plaque analysis infrastructure.
Joint publications and regulatory work
Collaborative publications, conference presentations, and support for regulatory submissions where BioHEART data contributes to biomarker qualification or label claims.
About CAD Frontiers
CAD Frontiers is dedicated to eliminating heart attacks through early detection and targeted intervention. The organisation was established to translate the BioHEART research platform into commercial partnerships and real-world impact, bringing together world-class expertise across the full discovery-to-impact pipeline.
Clinical cardiology and imaging
Advanced CTCA analysis, quantitative plaque phenotyping, and clinical outcome expertise embedded in active clinical services.
Multi-omics and systems biology
Deep capability across genomics, proteomics, transcriptomics, metabolomics, lipidomics, and cellular biology platforms.
Bioinformatics and analytics
Statistical machine learning and advanced bioinformatic approaches applied to high-dimensional biological and clinical datasets.
Industry collaboration
Proven governance frameworks and data access models, industry-tested across multiple agreements with a Top 10 global pharma partner.
Contact
BioHEART is actively seeking pharmaceutical and biotech partners across biomarker discovery, drug target validation, and diagnostic endpoint development. We would be pleased to share further detail and explore where BioHEART can support your programme.
Request a meeting
admin@cadfrontiers.com.au
CAD Frontiers Pty Ltd
ABN 662 094 626 · Level 10, 530 Collins Street, Melbourne VIC 3000