Nano Lett., 6 (10), 2220 -2224, 2006. 10.1021/nl061498r S1530-6984(06)01498-6 Web Release Date: July 26, 2006
Copyright © 2006 American Chemical Society

Properties of a Versatile Nanoparticle Platform Contrast Agent To Image and Characterize Atherosclerotic Plaques by Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Juan C. Frias, Yanqing Ma, Kevin Jon Williams, Zahi A. Fayad, and Edward A. Fisher.

Zena and Michael A. Wiener Cardiovascular Institute and the Marie-Josee and Henry R. Kravis Cardiovascular Health Center, The Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York 10029, Leon H. Charney Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York 10016, and Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19107

Abstract:

The need for more specific and selective contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging motivated us to prepare a new nanoparticle agent based on high-density lipoproteins (HDL). This second generation contrast agent can be prepared in three different ways. The HDL nanoparticles (rHDL) were fully characterized by FPLC and gel electrophoresis. The flexibility of the platform also allows us to incorporate optical probes into rHDL for localization ex vivo by confocal fluorescence microscopy. The contrast-agent-containing nanoparticles were injected into mice that develop atherosclerotic lesions. Magnetic resonance imaging of the animals showed clear enhancement of the atherosclerotic plaques.