title: Imaging inflammation in stroke using magnetic resonance imaging.
abstract: Stroke is the third leading cause of death, after myocardial infarction and cancer, and the leading cause of permanent disability in Western countries. Although anti-inflammatory drugs have shown very promising results in preclinical rodent studies, they appeared to be ineffective against stroke in clinical trials. In this context, non-invasive detection of inflammatory cells after brain ischemia could be helpful (i) to select patients who may benefit from anti-inflammatory treatment, and/or (ii) to target an adequate individualized therapeutic time window. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) coupled with injection of iron oxide nanoparticles, a contrast agent taken up by macrophages ex vivo and in vivo, appears to be a promising tool for this purpose. This review focuses on the use of this technique to image inflammation in pre-clinical and clinical studies of stroke. Despite current limitations, MRI of inflammation may become an important tool for the investigation of novel ischemic stroke therapeutics targeting inflammation.
authors.affiliation: CNRS, UMR 5220, Inserm, U630, Insa de Lyon, Creatis, Bron, France.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Chauveau
authors.forename: T H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Berthezène
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nighoghossian
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wiart
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D005290:Ferric Compounds; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles; D018579:Patient Selection; D012377:Rodentia; D020521:Stroke / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D005290:Ferric Compounds; C000499:ferric oxide