Published in:
01-02-2010
Molecular MRI of Atherosclerosis
Authors:
Victoria E. L. Young, Tjun Y. Tang, Umar Sadat, Jonathan H. Gillard
Published in:
Current Cardiovascular Imaging Reports
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Issue 1/2010
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Abstract
High-resolution MRI is an effective imaging tool for the assessment of atherosclerotic plaques. Although it has been used successfully for the morphological characterization of the atherosclerotic tissue, our ongoing quest to understand the pathobiology of atherogenesis has led to its use in imaging various biological factors involved in plaque initiation, progression, disruption, and regression. Imaging at the molecular and cellular level can play a pivotal role in the diagnosis of atherosclerosis at a preclinical stage and can also enable us to monitor the efficacy of novel anti-atherogenic treatments at the molecular level. This review discusses various methods of molecular MRI for atherosclerosis.