Cited by 697Cardiac Imaging and DiagnosticsAtherosclerosis and Cardiovascular DiseasesCerebrovascular and Carotid Artery Diseases

Molecular Imaging of Angiogenesis in Early-Stage Atherosclerosis With α v β 3 -Integrin–Targeted Nanoparticles

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Winter, Patrick M., Morawski, Anne M., Caruthers, Shelton D., Fuhrhop, Ralph W., Zhang, Huiying, Williams, Todd A., Allen, John S., Lacy, Elizabeth K. +3 more·2003·Circulation

Abstract

Background— Angiogenesis is a critical feature of plaque development in atherosclerosis and might play a key role in both the initiation and later rupture of plaques that lead to myocardial infarction and stroke. The precursory molecular or cellular events that initiate plaque growth and that ultimately contribute to plaque instability, however, cannot be detected directly with any current diagnostic modality. Methods and Results— Atherosclerosis was induced in New Zealand White rabbits fed 1% cholesterol for ≈80 days. α v β 3 -Integrin–targeted, paramagnetic nanoparticles were injected intravenously and provided specific detection of the neovasculature within 2 hours by routine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at a clinically relevant field strength (1.5 T). Increased angiogenesis was detected as a 47±5% enhancement in MRI signal averaged throughout the abdominal aortic wall among rabbits that received α v β 3 -targeted, paramagnetic nanoparticles. Pretreatment of atherosclerotic rabbits with α v β 3 -targeted, nonparamagnetic nanoparticles competitively blocked specific contrast enhancement of the α v β 3 -targeted paramagnetic agent. MRI revealed a pattern of increased α v β 3 -integrin distribution within the atherosclerotic wall that was spatially heterogeneous along both transverse and longitudinal planes of the abdominal aorta. Histology and immunohistochemistry confirmed marked proliferation of angiogenic vessels within the aortic adventitia, coincident with prominent, neointimal proliferation among cholesterol-fed, atherosclerotic rabbits in comparison with sparse incidence of neovasculature in the control animals. Conclusions— This molecular imaging approach might provide a method for defining the burden and evolution of atherosclerosis in susceptible individuals as well as responsiveness of individual patients to antiatherosclerotic therapies.

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Crossref · 10.1161/01.cir.0000093185.16083.95

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Research works printed but not linked: 2

  1. Yu X, Song S-K, Chen J, et al. High-resolution MRI characterization of human thrombus using a novel fibrin-targeted paramagnetic nanoparticle contrast agent. Magn Reson Med. 2000;44:867-872.
  2. Lanza GM, Yu X, Winter PM, et al. Targeted antiproliferative drug delivery to vascular smooth muscle cells with an MRI nanoparticle contrast agent: implications for rational therapy of restenosis. Circulation. 2002;106:2842-2847.

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Authors
Winter, P. M., Morawski, A. M., Caruthers, S. D., Fuhrhop, R. W., Zhang, H., Williams, T. A., Allen, J. S., Lacy, E. K., Robertson, J. D., Lanza, G. M., & Wickline, S. A.
Affiliations
Washington University in St. Louis (US)
Venue
Circulation
Published
2003-11-04
Volume
108
Issue
18
Pages
2270-2274
ISSN
  • 0009-7322 (ISSN-L)
  • 1524-4539
OpenAlex
W2101681003
Cited by
696
References
24
Citations by year
2026: 3 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 10 · 2022: 8 · 2021: 10 · 2020: 17 · 2019: 24 · 2018: 19 · 2017: 17 · 2016: 22 · 2015: 30 · 2014: 44 · 2013: 36 · 2012: 47
FWCI
31.66
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Circulation (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • American Heart Association
  • Bristol-Myers Squibb
  • University of Bristol
  • National Institutes of Health (5r01hl042950-17)
  • U.S. Public Health Service (N01-C0-07121)
  • National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (HL 59865, R01HL059865, HL 42950)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Imaging › Cardiac Imaging and Diagnostics
  • Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Immunology › Atherosclerosis and Cardiovascular Diseases
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine › Cerebrovascular and Carotid Artery Diseases
Keywords
atherosclerosis, angiogenesis, alpha v beta 3 integrin, molecular imaging, paramagnetic nanoparticles, neovasculature, aortic plaque, neointimal proliferation, plaque vulnerability, cholesterol-fed rabbits, MRI contrast agents
MeSH terms
Animals, Aorta, Arteriosclerosis, Cholesterol, Dietary, Contrast Media, Disease Models, Animal, Immunohistochemistry, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Male, Neovascularization, Pathologic, Particle Size, Rabbits, Sensitivity and Specificity, Integrin alphaVbeta3

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