Targeted imaging of molecular and cellular processes in the cardiovascular system is a major focus area of our program and leverages our strengths in medicinal chemistry, nanotechnology and biomedical imaging. Our worked has ranged from the use of preclinical fluorescent and MR-detectable probes to image apoptosis, autophagy, and inflammation in the heart and vasculature, to translational studies in humans using novel targeted radiotracers and intravascular catheters.

Selected Papers

Verjans JW, Osborn EA, Ughi GJ, Calfon Press MA, Hamidi E, Antoniadis AP, Papafaklis MI, Conrad MF, Libby P, Stone PH, Cambria RP, Tearney GJ and Jaffer FA. Targeted Near-Infrared Fluorescence Imaging of Atherosclerosis: Clinical and Intracoronary Evaluation of Indocyanine Green. JACC Cardiovasc Imaging. 2016;9:1087-1095.

Zou L, Chen HH, Li D, Xu G, Feng Y, Chen C, Wang L, Sosnovik DE and Chao W. Imaging Lymphoid Cell Death In Vivo During Polymicrobial Sepsis. Crit Care Med. 2015;43:2303-12.

Chen HH, Mekkaoui C, Cho H, Ngoy S, Marinelli B, Waterman P, Nahrendorf M, Liao R, Josephson L and Sosnovik DE. Fluorescence tomography of rapamycin-induced autophagy and cardioprotection in vivo. Circ Cardiovasc Imaging. 2013;6:441-7.

Sosnovik DE, Garanger E, Aikawa E, Nahrendorf M, Figuiredo JL, Dai G, Reynolds F, Rosenzweig A, Weissleder R and Josephson L. Molecular MRI of cardiomyocyte apoptosis with simultaneous delayed-enhancement MRI distinguishes apoptotic and necrotic myocytes in vivo: potential for midmyocardial salvage in acute ischemia. Circ Cardiovasc Imaging. 2009;2:460-7.

Nahrendorf M, Sosnovik D, Chen JW, Panizzi P, Figueiredo JL, Aikawa E, Libby P, Swirski FK and Weissleder R. Activatable magnetic resonance imaging agent reports myeloperoxidase activity in healing infarcts and noninvasively detects the antiinflammatory effects of atorvastatin on ischemia-reperfusion injury. Circulation. 2008;117:1153-60.