Juan Carlos Frías¹, Michael Joseph Lipinski², María Teresa Albelda¹, Borja Ibáñez³, Conxa Soriano¹, Enrique García-España¹, Luis Jesús Jiménez-Borreguero⁴ and Juan José Badimon³

¹Instituto de Ciencia Molecular, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain, ²Department of Internal Medicine, University of Virginia Health System, Charlottesville, VA, USA, ³The Zena and Michael A. Wiener Cardiovascular Institute, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA, ⁴Departamento de Cardiología, Hospital Universitario de La Princesa, Madrid, Spain

Abstract

Nanoparticle contrast agents for MRI may aid in identifying atherosclerotic lesions that give rise to ischemic events by means of penetration and retention in the plaque. These imaging agents may provide valuable information regarding plaque characteristics which can help determine the risk of plaque rupture. By increasing molecular flexibility or adding a means of specifically targeting ligands via antibody or peptide, nanoparticles can enhance certain regions of the atherosclerotic plaque. The development of single contrast agents detectable with multiple imaging modalities may further improve our ability to detect and characterize atherosclerosis in clinical and preclinical applications. These exciting developments may help in the realization of MRI as a powerful tool in the prevention of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.