TY - JOUR
T1 - Optoacoustic biomarkers of lipids, hemorrhage and inflammation in carotid atherosclerosis
AU - Karlas, Angelos
AU - Fasoula, Nikolina Alexia
AU - Kallmayer, Michael
AU - Schäffer, Christoph
AU - Angelis, Georgios
AU - Katsouli, Nikoletta
AU - Reidl, Mario
AU - Duelmer, Felix
AU - Al Adem, Kenana
AU - Hadjileontiadis, Leontios
AU - Eckstein, Hans Henning
AU - Ntziachristos, Vasilis
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
2023 Karlas, Fasoula, Kallmayer, Schäffer, Angelis, Katsouli, Reidl, Duelmer, Al Adem, Hadjileontiadis, Eckstein and Ntziachristos.
PY - 2023
Y1 - 2023
N2 - Imaging plays a critical role in exploring the pathophysiology and enabling the diagnostics and therapy assessment in carotid artery disease. Ultrasonography, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging and nuclear medicine techniques have been used to extract of known characteristics of plaque vulnerability, such as inflammation, intraplaque hemorrhage and high lipid content. Despite the plethora of available techniques, there is still a need for new modalities to better characterize the plaque and provide novel biomarkers that might help to detect the vulnerable plaque early enough and before a stroke occurs. Optoacoustics, by providing a multiscale characterization of the morphology and pathophysiology of the plaque could offer such an option. By visualizing endogenous (e.g., hemoglobin, lipids) and exogenous (e.g., injected dyes) chromophores, optoacoustic technologies have shown great capability in imaging lipids, hemoglobin and inflammation in different applications and settings. Herein, we provide an overview of the main optoacoustic systems and scales of detail that enable imaging of carotid plaques in vitro, in small animals and humans. Finally, we discuss the limitations of this novel set of techniques while investigating their potential to enable a deeper understanding of carotid plaque pathophysiology and possibly improve the diagnostics in future patients with carotid artery disease.
AB - Imaging plays a critical role in exploring the pathophysiology and enabling the diagnostics and therapy assessment in carotid artery disease. Ultrasonography, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging and nuclear medicine techniques have been used to extract of known characteristics of plaque vulnerability, such as inflammation, intraplaque hemorrhage and high lipid content. Despite the plethora of available techniques, there is still a need for new modalities to better characterize the plaque and provide novel biomarkers that might help to detect the vulnerable plaque early enough and before a stroke occurs. Optoacoustics, by providing a multiscale characterization of the morphology and pathophysiology of the plaque could offer such an option. By visualizing endogenous (e.g., hemoglobin, lipids) and exogenous (e.g., injected dyes) chromophores, optoacoustic technologies have shown great capability in imaging lipids, hemoglobin and inflammation in different applications and settings. Herein, we provide an overview of the main optoacoustic systems and scales of detail that enable imaging of carotid plaques in vitro, in small animals and humans. Finally, we discuss the limitations of this novel set of techniques while investigating their potential to enable a deeper understanding of carotid plaque pathophysiology and possibly improve the diagnostics in future patients with carotid artery disease.
KW - carotid artery disease
KW - molecular imaging
KW - MSOT
KW - RSOM
KW - stroke
KW - unstable plaque
KW - vulnerable plaque
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85177665214&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3389/fcvm.2023.1210032
DO - 10.3389/fcvm.2023.1210032
M3 - Review article
AN - SCOPUS:85177665214
SN - 2297-055X
VL - 10
JO - Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine
JF - Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine
M1 - 1210032
ER -