Development of nuclide targeted matrix metalloproteinase inhibitors in atherosclerotic plaque imaging / 中华核医学与分子影像杂志

ABSTRACT

Atherosclerotic vulnerable plaques may cause acute cardiovascular events.Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) plays an important role in the pathological process of high-risk plaques.It degrades the extracellular matrix of atherosclerotic plaque,thus making the fibrous cap thinner and the plaque more vulnerable,which lead to rupture.MMP inhibitors (MMPI) can specially bind MMP and inhibit its activity.Taking MMP as the target,nuclear medical imaging can identify and evaluate the unstable plaque in molecular level,and can also be used to explore the biological characteristics of plaque,as well as to monitor drug efficiency.This review summarizes the development of nuclide targeted MMPI in atherosclerotic plaque imaging.