Monocyte-targeting supramolecular micellar assemblies: a molecular diagnostic tool for atherosclerosis.

ABSTRACT: Atherosclerosis is a multifactorial inflammatory disease that can progress silently for decades and result in myocardial infarction, stroke, and death. Diagnostic imaging technologies have made great strides to define the degree of atherosclerotic plaque burden through the severity of arterial stenosis. However, current technologies cannot differentiate more lethal "vulnerable plaques," and are not sensitive enough for preventive medicine. Imaging early molecular markers and quantifying the extent of disease progression continues to be a major challenge in the field. To this end, monocyte-targeting, peptide amphiphile micelles (PAMs) are engineered through the incorporation of the chemokine receptor CCR2-binding motif of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) and MCP-1 PAMs are evaluat

SUBMITTER: Chung EJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4336846 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature