title: Laboratory medicine for molecular imaging of atherosclerosis.
abstract: Atherosclerotic plaques are the main cause of life threatening clinical endpoints like myocardial infarction and stroke. To prevent these endpoints, the improved early diagnosis and treatment of vulnerable atherosclerotic vascular lesions are essential. Although originally applied for anticancer treatment, recent advances have also showed the considerable potential of nanotechnology for atherosclerosis. Otherwise, one domain of laboratory medicine is the investigation of new biomarkers. Recent research activities have identified the usability of biomarker-targeted nanoparticles for molecular imaging and pharmacologic modification of vulnerable atherosclerotic lesions leading to myocardial infarction or stroke. These investigations have established a new research interface between laboratory medicine, nanotechnology, cardiology/neurology, and radiology. In this review, we discuss inflammatory pathophysiologic mechanisms and biomarkers associated with a vulnerable atherosclerotic plaque phenotype. Further, we will emphasize cardiovascular relevant functionalized nanoparticle biomarker constructs which were developed within the cooperation interface between Laboratory Medicine (anti-inflammatory biomarkers), Nano-Medicine (nanoparticle development), and Radiology (molecular imaging).
authors.affiliation: Clinical Institute of Medical and Chemical Laboratory Diagnostics, Medical University of Graz, Austria; BioTechMed-Graz, Austria. Electronic address: harald.mangge@klinikum-graz.at.
authors.forename: Harald
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mangge
authors.affiliation: Clinical Institute of Medical and Chemical Laboratory Diagnostics, Medical University of Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: Gunter
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Almer
authors.affiliation: Clinical Institute of Medical and Chemical Laboratory Diagnostics, Medical University of Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: Ingeborg
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Stelzer
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Medical University of Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Reininghaus
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biophysics, Medical University of Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: Ruth
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Prassl
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D057054:Molecular Imaging / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends; D058226:Plaque, Atherosclerotic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism
keywords: Laboratory medicine; Molecular imaging of atherosclerosis; Nanotechnology