Imaging atherosclerosis and vulnerable plaque.

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Imaging
• Atherosclerosis Research
• Molecular Imaging

Background:

• Accurate identification of patients at high risk for acute cardiovascular events is crucial.
• Assessing total atherosclerotic burden aids in risk stratification.
• Current imaging modalities offer anatomical detail but limited pathobiological insights.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review state-of-the-art vascular imaging modalities for assessing atherosclerotic plaque.
• To highlight the capability of novel probes in targeting plaque evolution and stability.
• To discuss the clinical translation challenges of advanced imaging techniques.

Main Methods:

• Review of current imaging platforms including hybrid (nuclear/CT) and MRI technologies.
• Discussion of novel molecular probes targeting key biologic processes in atherosclerosis.
• Examination of imaging capabilities for vessel wall expansion, vasa vasorum angiogenesis, inflammation, and thrombosis.

Main Results:

• Advanced imaging can delineate vascular anatomy and target specific pathobiologic processes.
• Hybrid and MRI platforms enable simultaneous assessment of anatomy and molecular targets.
• Imaging modalities can visualize vessel remodeling, angiogenesis, inflammation, and thrombosis.

Conclusions:

• Novel vascular imaging modalities offer comprehensive assessment of atherosclerotic disease.
• Simultaneous anatomical and pathobiological imaging improves cardiovascular risk assessment.
• Further research is needed to overcome challenges in clinical translation.