Nanoparticles for Cardiovascular Imaging and Therapeutic Delivery, Part 2: Radiolabeled Probes

Abstract

Nanoparticulate imaging agents and therapeutics have proven to be valuable tools in preclinical cardiovascular disease research. Because of their distinct properties and significant functional versatility, nanoparticulate imaging agents afford certain capabilities that are typically not provided by traditional small molecule agents. This review is the second in a two-part series covering nanoparticulate imaging agents and theranostics. It highlights current examples of radiolabeled nanoparticulate probes in preclinical cardiovascular research and demonstrates their utility in applications such as blood pool imaging and molecular imaging of ischemia, angiogenesis, atherosclerosis, and inflammation. These agents provide valuable insight into the molecular and cellular mechanisms of cardiovascular disease and illustrate both the limitations and the significant potential of nanoparticles in diagnostic and therapeutic applications. Further technologic development to improve performance, address safety concerns, and fulfil regulatory obligations is required for clinical translation of these emergent technologies.

Design and Modular Construction of a Polymeric Nanoparticle for Targeted Atherosclerosis Positron Emission Tomography Imaging: A Story of 25% 64Cu-CANF-Comb

“…Due to their unique size-related physicochemical properties, multivalent polymeric nanostructures are typically more efficient and efficacious than their monovalent counterparts both in vitro and in vivo (7–11). To date, most studies have focused on pre-clinical applications and a very limited number of polymeric nanostructures have ever been used in humans (12).…”

“…Currently, most clinical diagnostic modalities used for atherosclerosis are anatomic in nature and provide limited information about plaque progression and activity. Some molecular agents, especially those that are radiolabeled, have shown promising ability to image biomarkers up-regulated on plaques by positron emission tomography (PET) or single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) (11, 20–28). Unfortunately, clinical translation has usually been the bottleneck for validating these agents’ ability to identify the stage and vulnerability of atherosclerotic plaques in humans.…”

Positron emission tomography and nanotechnology: A dynamic duo for cancer theranostics

“…Owing to their unique physicochemical properties, varied and tailorable shapes, sizes and chemical compositions, gold nanostructures make excellent candidates for molecular imaging and, potentially, therapy of various diseases, including cancer [155, 156], cardiovascular disease [157–159], viral infections [160–162], and others. [163, 164] Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) display excellent biocompatibility as gold is relatively inert in biological environments.…”

Vascular targeting of nanoparticles for molecular imaging of diseased endothelium

“…To this end, some efforts have focused on macrophage imaging, but because rodent and rabbit models have significantly higher macrophage counts than humans, in vivo studies have often not been accurate at correctly depicting human disease. Here, we focus on vascular molecular targeting and imaging of the atherosclerotic endothelium via over-expressed endothelial cell markers using prevalent imaging modalities [52,53]. Given that the process of atherosclerotic plaque formation is similar between humans and current animal models with respect to changes in the vascular endothelium, to our knowledge to date, there are no significant discrepancies in clinical translation of results from animal models of the disease.…”