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Molecular MR Imaging of Atherosclerosis

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Cardiovascular Imaging

Abstract

In recent years, extensive research in atherosclerosis disease has elucidated many of the biological and molecular mechanisms and pathways involved in plaque development and progression. This has identified dozens of novel targets for diagnosis, therapy, and treatment evaluation. In vivo molecular imaging techniques, and in particular molecular magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), facilitate studies on the etiology of atherosclerosis and the evaluation of emerging therapies. In this chapter, we review contrast agents and (quantitative) MRI pulse sequences and strategies that have been developed for molecular MRI of atherosclerosis. We focus on targeted and nontargeted MRI contrast agents for specific imaging of inflammation (and especially macrophages), lipids, fibrous cap, thrombus, intra-plaque hemorrhage, apoptosis, and neovascularization. Contrast agents that are discussed include iron oxide-based agents (USPIO, MPIO), gadolinium-based materials (low molecular weight agents, micelles, liposomes, HDL-like particles) for 1H MRI, as well as perfluorocarbon (PFC) emulsions for 19 F MRI. The most promising strategies for diagnosis (vulnerable, rupture-prone plaque detection), for determining therapeutic pathways, for monitoring of therapy, and for treatment personalization will be reviewed in more detail, discussing their value for preclinical research and clinical translation.

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Acknowledgments

Part of the research on the topic of this contribution in the authors’ laboratories was performed within the framework of CTMM, the Center for Translational Molecular Medicine (www.ctmm.nl), project PARISk is park of the CTMM (grant 01C-202), which is supported by the Dutch Heart Foundation. Further funding was provided by the Besluit Subsidies Investeringen Kennisinfrastructuur (BSIK) program entitled Molecular Imaging of Ischemic Heart Disease (project number BSIK03033), the European Community EC-FP6-project Diagnostic Molecular Imaging (DiMI; LSHB-CT-2005-512146), and by the Dutch Heart Foundation (project number 2006 T106).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Biomedical NMR, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, HTC 11 1.247, High Tech Campus 11, 5656 AE, Eindhoven, The Netherlands

    Rik P. M. Moonen PhD, Gustav J. Strijkers PhD & Klaas Nicolay PhD

  2. Center for Imaging Research and Education (CIRE), Eindhoven, The Netherlands

    Rik P. M. Moonen PhD, Gustav J. Strijkers PhD & Klaas Nicolay PhD

  3. Department of Biomedical Engineering and Physics, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Gustav J. Strijkers PhD

  4. Translational and Molecular Imaging Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA

    Zahi A. Fayad PhD

  5. Department of Pathology, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Mat J. A. P. Daemen MD

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  1. Rik P. M. Moonen PhD
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  2. Gustav J. Strijkers PhD
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  3. Zahi A. Fayad PhD
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  4. Mat J. A. P. Daemen MD
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  5. Klaas Nicolay PhD
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Correspondence to Klaas Nicolay PhD .

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  1. Cardiovascular Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

    Elena Aikawa

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Moonen, R.P.M., Strijkers, G.J., Fayad, Z.A., Daemen, M.J.A.P., Nicolay, K. (2015). Molecular MR Imaging of Atherosclerosis. In: Aikawa, E. (eds) Cardiovascular Imaging. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-09268-3_13

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