Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
Br J Pharmacol. 2021 Jun;178(11):2186-2203. doi: 10.1111/bph.14868. Epub 2019 Nov 14.
PET imaging is able to harness biological processes to characterise high-risk features of atherosclerotic plaque prone to rupture. Current radiotracers are able to track inflammation, microcalcification, hypoxia, and neoangiogenesis within vulnerable plaque. F-fluorodeoxyglucose ( F-FDG) is the most commonly used radiotracer in vascular studies and is employed as a surrogate marker of plaque inflammation. Increasingly, F-FDG and other PET tracers are also being used to provide imaging endpoints in cardiovascular interventional trials. The evolution of novel PET radiotracers, imaging protocols, and hybrid scanners are likely to enable more efficient and accurate characterisation of high-risk plaque. This review explores the role of PET imaging in atherosclerosis with a focus on PET tracers utilised in clinical research and the applications of PET imaging to cardiovascular drug development.
PET 成像是一种能够利用生物学过程来描述易破裂的动脉粥样硬化斑块的高危特征的方法。目前的放射性示踪剂能够在易损斑块内追踪炎症、微钙化、缺氧和新生血管形成。 F-氟脱氧葡萄糖（ F-FDG）是血管研究中最常用的放射性示踪剂，被用作斑块炎症的替代标志物。越来越多的 F-FDG 和其他 PET 示踪剂也被用于心血管介入试验中的成像终点。新型 PET 放射性示踪剂、成像方案和混合扫描仪的发展可能使高危斑块的特征描述更加高效和准确。本综述探讨了 PET 成像在动脉粥样硬化中的作用，重点介绍了在临床研究中使用的 PET 示踪剂以及 PET 成像在心血管药物开发中的应用。
