Intravascular near-infrared fluorescence molecular imaging of atherosclerosis: toward coronary arterial visualization of biologically high-risk plaques.
New imaging methods are urgently needed to identify high-risk atherosclerotic lesions prior to the onset of myocardial infarction, stroke, and ischemic limbs. Molecular imaging offers a new approach to visualize key biological features that characterize high-risk plaques associated with cardiovascular events. While substantial progress has been realized in clinical molecular imaging of plaques in larger arterial vessels (carotid, aorta, iliac), there remains a compelling, unmet need to develop molecular imaging strategies targeted to high-risk plaques in human coronary arteries. We present recent developments in intravascular near-IR fluorescence catheter-based strategies for in vivo detection of plaque inflammation in coronary-sized arteries. In particular, the biological, light transmission, imaging agent, and engineering principles that underlie a new intravascular near-IR fluorescence sensing method are discussed. Intravascular near-IR fluorescence catheters appear highly translatable to the cardiac catheterization laboratory, and thus may offer a new in vivo method to detect high-risk coronary plaques and to assess novel atherosclerosis biologics.
Calfon
Marcella A
MA
Massachusetts General Hospital, Cardiovascular Research Center and Cardiology Division, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, USA.
Vinegoni
Claudio
C
Ntziachristos
Vasilis
V
Jaffer
Farouc A
FA
D000818:Animals; D001167:Arteritis / Q000473:pathology; D002404:Catheterization / Q000295:instrumentation; D003287:Contrast Media; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000473:pathology*; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D006801:Humans; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D011817:Rabbits; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D019265:Spectroscopy, Near-Infrared / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*
D003287:Contrast Media; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes