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Development of radiocontrast agents for vascular imaging: progress to date
Francis G Blankenberg1, Carina Mari, H William Strauss
1Department of Radiology/Division of Pediatric Radiology, Lucile Salter Packard Children's Hospital, Stanford, California, USA. blankenb@stanford.edu
Summary
Molecular imaging agents are revolutionizing atherosclerosis research, offering sensitive detection of inflammatory lesions and vulnerable plaques. Novel radiopharmaceuticals and advanced techniques show promise for improved diagnosis and monitoring of cardiovascular disease.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Imaging
- Molecular Imaging
- Nuclear Medicine
Background:
- Atherosclerosis understanding is evolving with molecular imaging.
- Increasing demand for novel, well-tolerated imaging agents for clinical translation.
- Nuclear medicine and PET offer sensitive, serial monitoring with low-dose radiopharmaceuticals.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review radiopharmaceuticals for radionuclide imaging of atherosclerosis.
- To highlight agents targeting inflammatory processes and cellular activity.
- To discuss technological advancements and challenges in atherosclerosis imaging.
Main Methods:
- Review of approved and pre-clinical radiopharmaceuticals for atherosclerosis.
- Focus on agents targeting CC chemokine receptor (CCR)-2, somatostatin receptors, and alpha(v)beta(3) integrin.
- Discussion of molecular imaging techniques like PET, SPECT, and intravascular detectors.
Main Results:
- Radiolabeled monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1 detects inflammatory lesions.
- Radiolabeled octreotide/depreotide identify activated T lymphocytes in vulnerable plaques.
- Animal models show efficacy of (99m)Tc-annexin V, (125)I-MCP-1, and [(18)F]-FDG for apoptosis, macrophages, and metabolism.
Conclusions:
- Novel radiopharmaceuticals enable detection of key atherosclerotic processes.
- Advanced imaging technologies like microSPECT improve visualization.
- Intravascular catheter-based detectors are being explored for small lesion detection.