Intraplaque and Cellular Distribution of Dextran-Coated Iron Oxide Fluorescently Labeled Nanoparticles: Insights Into Atherothrombosis and Plaque Rupture.

Inflammation, Endothelial Permeability, and the Vulnerable Plaque The past 10 to 15 years have witnessed a tremendous interest in developing and validating noninvasive imaging techniques aimed at quantifying features of atherosclerotic plaque vulnerability in humans, most notably plaque inflammation. Among these, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with iron oxide nanoparticles has been widely investigated over the years as a mean to detect this feature of high-risk plaques.