We have played a leading role over the last two decades in the use of magnetic (iron-oxide) nanoparticles to image molecular and cellular processes in the heart. The use of nanoparticles also allows their surfaces to be decorated with therapeutic compounds to form integrated theranostic (diagnostic and therapeutic) constructs. Examples include annexin-decorated iron-oxide nanoparticles, which both bind to and stabilize apoptotic cell membranes, and dextran-thiazole-orange (Dex-TO), which both detects and scavenges free nucleic acids decreasing their stimulation of the innate immune system.

Selected Papers

Chen HH, Yuan H, Cho H, Feng Y, Ngoy S, Kumar AT, Liao R, Chao W, Josephson L and Sosnovik DE. Theranostic Nucleic Acid Binding Nanoprobe Exerts Anti-inflammatory and Cytoprotective Effects in Ischemic Injury. Theranostics. 2017;7:814-825.

Cui J, Kessinger CW, McCarthy JR, Sosnovik DE, Libby P, Thadhani RI and Jaffer FA. In vivo nanoparticle assessment of pathological endothelium predicts the development of inflow stenosis in murine arteriovenous fistula. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2015;35:189-96.

Chen HH, Yuan H, Cho H, Sosnovik DE and Josephson L. Cytoprotective nanoparticles by conjugation of a polyhis tagged annexin V to a nanoparticle drug. Nanoscale. 2015;7:2255-9.

Chen HH, Feng Y, Zhang M, Chao W, Josephson L, Shaw SY and Sosnovik DE. Protective effect of the apoptosis-sensing nanoparticle AnxCLIO-Cy5.5. Nanomedicine. 2012;8:291-8.

Farrar CT, Dai G, Novikov M, Rosenzweig A, Weissleder R, Rosen BR and Sosnovik DE. Impact of field strength and iron oxide nanoparticle concentration on the linearity and diagnostic accuracy of off-resonance imaging. NMR Biomed. 2008;21:453-63.