Nanoparticles for Optical Molecular Imaging of Atherosclerosis

Molecular imaging contributes to future personalized medicine dedicated to the treatment of cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of mortality in industrialized countries. Endoscope‐compatible optical imaging techniques would offer a stand‐alone alternative and high spatial resolution validation technique to clinically accepted imaging techniques in the (intravascular) assessment of vulnerable atherosclerotic lesions, which are predisposed to initiate acute clinical events. Efficient optical visualization of molecular epitopes specific for vulnerable atherosclerotic lesions requires targeting of high‐quality optical‐contrast‐enhancing particles. In this review, we provide an overview of both current optical nanoparticles and targeting ligands for optical molecular imaging of atherosclerotic lesions and speculate on their applicability in the clinical setting. Molecular imaging contributes to personalized medicine dedicated the treatment of cardiovascular disease. Targeting of high‐quality contrast‐enhancing optical nanoparticles (see image) increases the sensitivity in assessing vulnerable atherosclerotic lesions with optical imaging modalities. Here, we provide an overview of optical nanoparticles and targeting ligands for optical molecular imaging of lesion development and discuss their potential clinical applicability.