title: The vascular biology of atherosclerosis and imaging targets.
abstract: The growing worldwide health challenge of atherosclerosis, together with advances in imaging technologies, have stimulated considerable interest in novel approaches to gauging this disease. The last several decades have witnessed a burgeoning in understanding of the molecular pathways involved in atherogenesis, lesion progression, and the mechanisms underlying the complications of human atherosclerotic plaques. The imaging of atherosclerosis is reaching beyond anatomy to encompass assessment of aspects of plaque biology related to the pathogenesis and complication of the disease. The harnessing of these biologic insights promises to provide a plethora of new targets for molecular imaging of atherosclerosis. The goals for the years to come must include translation of the experimental work to visualization of these appealing biologic targets in humans.
authors.affiliation: Donald W. Reynolds Cardiovascular Clinical Research Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. plibby@rics.bwh.harvard.edu
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Libby
authors.forename: Marcelo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: DiCarli
authors.forename: Ralph
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Weissleder
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001158:Arteries / Q000473:pathology; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000473:pathology*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D003094:Collagen / Q000737:chemistry; D003251:Constriction, Pathologic / Q000473:pathology*; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging / Q000379:methods; D018450:Disease Progression; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D007249:Inflammation; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D008264:Macrophages / Q000378:metabolism; D008954:Models, Biological; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1; D003094:Collagen