Imaging atherosclerotic plaques in vivo using peptide-functionalized iron oxide nanoparticles

Atherosclerosis, or the formation of plaques in the arterial wall, leads to cardiovascular disease, the number one cause of death in the United States. Atherosclerosis develops through multiple stages, which makes it a particularly difficult disease to detect. Markers of these different stages of plaque development have been discovered, however. Our work aims to selectively target and deliver a contrast agent to atherosclerotic plaques through the use of peptides that bind to unique markers of plaque development. Our goal is to use Magnetic Particle Imaging (MPI) to diagnose atherosclerotic plaques.