Hydroxyapatite-binding micelles for the detection of vascular calcification in atherosclerosis.

ABSTRACT: Atherosclerosis is a chronic disease characterized by the formation of calcified, arterial plaques. Microcalcifications (5 μm to 100 μm), mainly composed of hydroxyapatite (HA, Ca5(PO4)3(OH)), develop in the fibrous caps of atherosclerotic plaques and can trigger plaque rupture due to the loss of compliance and elasticity. Ultimately, plaque rupture can cause arterial occlusion and embolization and result in ischemic events such as strokes and myocardial infarctions. Unfortunately, current imaging technologies used to detect calcifications are limited by low signal-to-noise ratio or use invasive procedures that pose risk of arterial dissection. To mitigate these drawbacks, in our study, we developed a novel, fluorescently-labeled peptide amphiphile micelle (PAM) that uses a 12 amino acid H

SUBMITTER: Chin DD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6812598 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature