ABSTRACT
Atherosclerosis is a diffuse, progressive disease distributed heterogeneously throughout the vasculature. It is a complex pathology reflecting a multitude of interrelated processes including lipid disturbances, platelet activation, thrombosis, endothelial dysfunction, inflammation, oxidative stress, vascular smooth cell activation, altered matrix metabolism, remodeling, and genetics. Traditionally, noninvasive imaging has provided anatomical information late in the disease process. Research efforts have begun to focus on early recognition of pathology by detection of biochemical markers that herald disease before obvious mass-effect changes manifest. Superparamagnetic nanoparticles, such as iron oxides, create image voids in a magnetic field that extend well beyond their immediate size. Detection of these agents was relatively easy on T1/T2 or highly T2-weighted images, which led to considerable early research attention. Numerous iron oxide based nanoparticles have been developed that differ in hydrodynamic particle size and surface coating material. Perfluorocarbon nanoparticles are ligand-targeted, lipid-encapsulated, nongaseous emulsions produced through microfluidization techniques.
