title: Molecular magnetic resonance imaging of atherosclerotic vessel wall disease.
abstract: Molecular imaging aims to improve the identification and characterization of pathological processes in vivo by visualizing the underlying biological mechanisms. Molecular imaging techniques are increasingly used to assess vascular inflammation, remodeling, cell migration, angioneogenesis and apoptosis. In cardiovascular diseases, molecular magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) offers new insights into the in vivo biology of pathological vessel wall processes of the coronary and carotid arteries and the aorta. This includes detection of early vascular changes preceding plaque development, visualization of unstable plaques and assessment of response to therapy. The current review focuses on recent developments in the field of molecular MRI to characterise different stages of atherosclerotic vessel wall disease. A variety of molecular MR-probes have been developed to improve the non-invasive detection and characterization of atherosclerotic plaques. Specifically targeted molecular probes allow for the visualization of key biological steps in the cascade leading to the development of arterial vessel wall lesions. Early detection of processes which lead to the development of atherosclerosis and the identification of vulnerable atherosclerotic plaques may enable the early assessment of response to therapy, improve therapy planning, foster the prevention of cardiovascular events and may open the door for the development of patient-specific treatment strategies.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Targeted MR-probes allow the characterization of atherosclerosis on a molecular level. Molecular MRI can identify in vivo markers for the differentiation of stable and unstable plaques. Visualization of early molecular changes has the potential to improve patient-individualized risk-assessment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Charité - University Medicine Berlin, Berlin, Germany. dominik.noerenberg@charite.de.|Department of Clinical Radiology, University of Munich - Grosshadern, Munich, Germany. dominik.noerenberg@charite.de.
authors.forename: Dominik
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7726-9006
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Nörenberg
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Heart Center Munich-Bogenhausen, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Hans U
authors.initials: HU
authors.lastname: Ebersberger
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Charité - University Medicine Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Gerd
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Diederichs
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Charité - University Medicine Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Bernd
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hamm
authors.affiliation: Division of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, King's College London, London, UK.
authors.forename: René M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Botnar
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Charité - University Medicine Berlin, Berlin, Germany.|Division of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, King's College London, London, UK.
authors.forename: Marcus R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Makowski
mesh_terms: D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000473:pathology; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000503:physiopathology; D005337:Fibrin / Q000032:analysis; D005544:Forecasting; D006801:Humans; D008055:Lipids / Q000032:analysis; D008264:Macrophages / Q000473:pathology; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography / Q000379:methods; D057054:Molecular Imaging / Q000379:methods; D015335:Molecular Probes; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases / Q000032:analysis; D058226:Plaque, Atherosclerotic / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D066253:Vascular Remodeling / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D008055:Lipids; D015335:Molecular Probes; D005337:Fibrin; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases
keywords: Atherosclerotic vessel wall disease; Cardiovascular disease; MRI contrast agents; Magnetic resonance imaging; Molecular imaging