Detection of high-risk unstable atherosclerotic plaque
AssigneeThe Heart Research Institute Ltd.
InventorsRoland Stocker, Imran Rashid
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Abstract
The technology relates to a method for detecting high-risk unstable atherosclerotic plaque in a subject, the method comprising: a) administering to the subject a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agent capable of being activated by myeloperoxidase (MPO) in atherosclerotic plaque; b) allowing the contrast agent to be activated by myeloperoxidase in atherosclerotic plaque; c) obtaining an image of the atherosclerotic plaque from the subject using such molecular MRI, wherein enhanced imaging is indicative of unstable plaque. In some embodiments an MPO inhibitor is administered to a subject identified as having a high-risk unstable atherosclerotic plaque.
Claims15
A method for detecting unstable atherosclerotic plaque phenotype in a subject, the method comprising:
- a) administering to the subject a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agent capable of being activated by myeloperoxidase (MPO) in atherosclerotic plaque;
- b) allowing the contrast agent to be activated by myeloperoxidase in atherosclerotic plaque;
- c) obtaining an enhanced image of the atherosclerotic plaque from the subject using MRI;
- d) determining from only the enhanced imaging one or more of;
- ΔCNR,
- thickness of a fibrous cap associated with the atherosclerotic plaque;
- and fibrous cap:lesion ratio,
- wherein a ΔCNR, cap thickness or cap:lesion ratio within a predetermined range indicates that the atherosclerotic plaque has an unstable phenotype.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.