The Use of Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles to Assess Cardiac Inflammation

Superparamagnetic iron oxide-based contrast agents enhance and complement in vivo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) by shortening T2 and T2* relaxation times. They are able to highlight areas of cellular inflammation, being detected and engulfed by cells of the reticuloendothelial system, and can be targeted to specific cellular processes or subtypes using antibody or ligand labeling. These agents have been used preclinically for the assessment of cardiac transplant rejection, cardiomyocyte apoptosis, myocardial infarction, myocarditis, and stem and endothelial cell imaging, with clinical applications now emerging. We here review recent studies using iron oxide particles to image cardiac inflammation, and highlight the potential of these agents for future clinical and research applications. © 2014 Springer Science+Business Media New York.