GOLD ENHANCED ANGIOGRAPHY

描述（由申请人提供）： 在美国，冠状动脉疾病是导致死亡的主要原因。迫切需要能够检测和区分易损斑块形成的测试，以便在灾难性事件发生前对其进行治疗。血管造影术是评估狭窄的有用工具，应开发可无创给药并可视化成分和形态的造影剂。 Nanoprobes，Inc.将纳米技术与这一医学应用相结合，并开发了微小纳米颗粒作为x射线造影剂的用途。与目前的碘化合物相比，这些化合物具有许多优点：它们提供更长的成像时间，具有更低的渗透压以减少副作用，原子序数更高，从而可以减少X射线的剂量，并且可以比碘试剂更浓缩。小鼠的初步成像显示0.2 mm血管和许多内脏器官的可视化，非常清晰，这是当前造影剂无法实现的。 第一阶段将集中研究和比较新制剂与碘制剂的性能，量化其特性，并测量急性和亚急性毒性。这项工作的另一个目标是在第二阶段探索的目标是发展有针对性的造影剂，将能够区分高风险的动脉粥样硬化斑块。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Coronary artery disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S. Tests are urgently needed that can detect and distinguish vulnerable plaque formation so that they may be treated before a catastrophic event. Angiography is a useful tool for assessment of stenoses, and contrast agents that could be administered non-invasively and visualize composition as well as morphology should be developed. Nanoprobes, Inc. has combined nanotechnology with this medical application and developed the use of tiny nanoparticles as x-ray contrast agents. These have a number of advantages over the current iodine compounds: they provide longer imaging times, have lower osmolality to reduce side effects, are higher in atomic number so that the dose of x-rays can be reduced, and can be concentrated more than iodine agents. Preliminary imaging in mice revealed 0.2 mm vessels and visualization of many internal organs with great clarity not possible with the current contrast agents. Phase I will concentrate on and comparing the performance of the new agents with the iodine agents, quantifying their properties, and measuring acute and subacute toxicity. A further objective of this work to be explored in Phase II is the development of targeted contrast agents that would be able to discriminate high-risk atherosclerotic plaques.