Multi-colour cardiac imaging
8 Oct 2010 by Evoluted New Media
Better and earlier diagnosis of cardiovascular disease could be possible after American researchers developed a way to visualise coronary artery plaques vulnerable to rupture.
Better and earlier diagnosis of cardiovascular disease could be possible after American researchers developed a way to visualise coronary artery plaques vulnerable to rupture.
Nearly 70% of heart attacks are caused by ruptures of atherosclerotic plaques and researchers from Mount Sinai School of Medicine have discovered that multi-colour computer tomography (CT) is a good way to visualise what’s happening in the heart.
The team – lead by Zahi A Fayad, a Professor of Radiology and Medicine – used gold nanoparticles to harness high density lipoproteins (HDP). This good cholesterol is drawn to plaques vulnerable to rupture and removes them from the arterial wall. The gold nanoparticles encapsulated in HDP were injected into mice, and – using a multi-colour CT scanner – the researchers were able to watch them target macrophages. These cells cause inflammation in the arterial wall and showed the location of vulnerable plaques.
“The use of multi-colour CT and gold nanoparticles to visualise plaque will revolutionise cardiac imaging,” said Fayad, “The acquisition of this technology and development of this method will help us improve cardiovascular disease diagnosis in our patients, furthering our commitments to translational research.”
Spectral CT can simultaneously distinguish calcium deposits and contrast agents such as iodine can show the extent of the narrowing of the arteries and the risk of atherosclerosis and heart attack.
“There is a significant unmet need for imaging technology that visualises plaque vulnerable to rupture,” said lead author David Cormode, a postdoctoral fellow, “The fact the multi-colour CT techniques shows the gold particles, iodine and clacifications, provides us with a more complete picture of the nature of atherosclerotic arteries.”
The technique may be beneficial in imaging other biological processes and diseases such as cancer, kidney and bowel diseases. The team plan to test the new technique in additional animal studies and in humans.
