Progression of vulnerable coronary atherosclerotic plaques underlies the majority of acute myocardial infarction and sudden cardiac death episodes. Recent advances in biological/molecular imaging technology are now enabling the accurate identification of high-risk plaques and stents in living subjects. Due to their smaller caliber and susceptibility to cardiorespiratory motion, noninvasive molecular imaging of human coronary arteries remains challenging. Therefore, intravascular high-resolution molecular imaging approaches appear necessary to resolve molecular features of human coronary arteries and stents. Here we present recent progress in intravascular near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF) molecular imaging, including the evolution from standalone NIRF systems to those integrated with structural imaging methods including optical coherence tomography and intravascular ultrasound. Preclinical demonstrations of imaging inflammation, fibrin, and endothelial impairment are highlighted. We then close with a discussion of translation of NIRF imaging to the cardiac catheterization laboratory and showcase first-in-human intracoronary imaging results of NIR autofluorescence in CAD.
Keyphrases
- coronary artery
- high resolution
- endothelial cells
- pulmonary artery
- coronary artery disease
- optical coherence tomography
- induced pluripotent stem cells
- magnetic resonance imaging
- left ventricular
- oxidative stress
- stem cells
- single molecule
- mesenchymal stem cells
- pulmonary arterial hypertension
- computed tomography
- tandem mass spectrometry
- optic nerve