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Abstract #0460

Molecular MRI of Myocardial Angiogenesis After Acute Myocardial Infarction

Marlies Oostendorp1, Kim Douma1, Allard Wagenaar1, Jos MGM Slenter1, Tilman M. Hackeng1, Marc AMJ van Zandvoort1, Mark J. Post1, Walter H. Backes1

1Maastricht University Medical Centre (MUMC+), Maastricht, Netherlands


Here, a molecular MRI method is presented to non-invasively image angiogenic activity in vivo in a murine model of myocardial infarction using cyclic cNGR-labeled paramagnetic quantum dots (pQDs). The tripeptide cNGR homes specifically to CD13, an aminopeptidase that is strongly upregulated during myocardial angiogenesis. cNGR-QDs allowed specific detection of post-infarction myocardial angiogenesis, as shown by the strong contrast observed in the infarcted mouse heart on molecular MRI, and by the colocalization of cNGR-pQDs with vascular endothelial cells as detected by fluorescence microscopy.