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Novel Positron Emission Tomography Tracers for Imaging Vascular Inflammation

Accepted version
Peer-reviewed

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Authors

Corovic, Andrej 
Wall, Christopher 
Mason, Justin 
Rudd, James H 

Abstract

Purpose of review: To provide a focused update on recent advances in positron emission tomography (PET) imaging in vascular inflammatory diseases and consider future directions in the field. Recent findings: While PET imaging with 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) can provide a useful marker of disease activity in several vascular inflammatory diseases, including atherosclerosis and large-vessel vasculitis, this tracer lacks inflammatory cell specificity and is not a practical solution for imaging the coronary vasculature because of avid background myocardial signal. To overcome these limitations, research is ongoing to identify novel PET tracers that can more accurately track individual components of vascular immune responses. In the future, these novel PET tracers could lead to a better understanding of underlying disease mechanisms and help inform the identification and stratification of patients for newly emerging immune-modulatory therapies. Summary: Future research is needed to realise the true clinical translational value of PET imaging in vascular inflammatory diseases.

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Keywords

Atherosclerosis, Inflammation, Large-vessel vasculitis, Molecular imaging, Non-invasive imaging, PET, Atherosclerosis, Fluorodeoxyglucose F18, Humans, Inflammation, Positron Emission Tomography Computed Tomography, Positron-Emission Tomography, Radiopharmaceuticals

Journal Title

Current Cardiology Reports

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

1534-3170
1534-3170

Volume Title

22

Publisher

Springer Nature
Sponsorship
Wellcome Trust (211100/Z/18/Z)
British Heart Foundation (None)
British Heart Foundation (None)
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EP/N014588/1)
Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (CUH) (146281)
Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (CUH) (unknown)