title: Interaction of cowpea mosaic virus nanoparticles with surface vimentin and inflammatory cells in atherosclerotic lesions.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Detection of atherosclerosis has generally been limited to the late stages of development, after cardiovascular symptoms present or a clinical event occurs. One possibility for early detection is the use of functionalized nanoparticles. The aim of this study was the early imaging of atherosclerosis using nanoparticles with a natural affinity for inflammatory cells in the lesion.
  
  
  METHODS
  We investigated uptake of cowpea mosaic virus by macrophages and foam cells in vitro and correlated this with vimentin expression. We also examined the ability of cowpea mosaic virus to interact with atherosclerotic lesions in a murine model of atherosclerosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We found that uptake of cowpea mosaic virus is increased in areas of atherosclerotic lesion. This correlated with increased surface vimentin in the lesion compared with nonlesion vasculature. In conclusion, cowpea mosaic virus and its vimentin-binding region holds potential for use as a targeting ligand for early atherosclerotic lesions, and as a probe for detecting upregulation of surface vimentin during inflammation.
authors.affiliation: University of California, San Diego, Skaggs School of Pharmacy, La Jolla, CA 92093-0749, USA.
authors.forename: Emily M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Plummer
authors.forename: Diane
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Destito
authors.forename: Leah P
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Shriver
authors.forename: Marianne
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Manchester
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001158:Arteries / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D002460:Cell Line; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D017798:Comovirus / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D005487:Foam Cells / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL / Q000276:immunology; D008264:Macrophages / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry; D058226:Plaque, Atherosclerotic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D014746:Vimentin / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL; D014746:Vimentin; C099252:oxidized low density lipoprotein