Development of the molecular imaging and the therapy of the unstable plaque targeting activated macrophages

叶酸受体β (fr - β)作为活化巨噬细胞的标记物引起了人们的关注。我们发现在动脉硬化模型小鼠的动脉硬化病变中存在表达fr - β的活化巨噬细胞。我们将铜绿假单胞菌毒素与抗fr - β单克隆抗体偶联的重组免疫毒素注入动脉硬化模型小鼠，选择性地杀死活化的巨噬细胞，并证明其能减轻动脉硬化病变。此外，我们建立了抗fr - β单克隆抗体夹心ELISA法，测定了人血清中可溶性fr - β的浓度。动脉瘤患者血清fr - β水平高于正常对照组。可溶性fr - β浓度的测定被认为对动脉粥样硬化的诊断有用。

The folic acid receptor beta (FR-beta) attracts attention as a marker of activated macrophages. We found that the activated macrophage which expressed FR-beta was present in the arteriosclerosis lesion of the arteriosclerosis model mouse. We administrated the recombinant immunotoxin which coupled Pseudomonas aeruginosa toxin to anti-FR-beta monoclonal antibody into the arteriosclerosis model mice, selectively killed the activated macrophages, and demonstrated that it reduced arteriosclerotic lesion.In addition, we established a sandwich ELISA assay using anti-FR-beta monoclonal antibody and measured the soluble FR-beta concentration of human serum. The patients with aortic aneurysms showed a higher serum FR-beta level compared with the normal control. The measurement of the soluble FR-beta concentration is suggested to be useful for the diagnosis of atherosclerosis.