In vivo imaging of vascular gene delivery/expression: Current status

Vascular gene therapy is a potential promising treatment for atherosclerotic disease. Imaging of vascular gene therapy is essential for the assessment of the success of the therapeutic strategy. Several imaging techniques, including MRI, ultrasound, and optical imaging, have been evaluated to monitor, enhance, and track vascular gene delivery, transfection/transduction, and expression. This review summarizes the current status of applying these techniques in the imaging of vascular gene therapy.