Iron oxide contrast agents could one day help identify vulnerable plaque in atherosclerosis patients, leading to therapies that could prevent heart attacks and strokes, according to a presenter at the ECR.
Iron oxide contrast agents could one day help identify vulnerable plaque in atherosclerosis patients, leading to therapies that could prevent heart attacks and strokes, according to a presenter at the ECR.
Dr. Jonathan H. Gillard, Honorary Consultant Neuroradiologist at Cambridge University Hospitals in the U.K., described research using MR imaging and iron oxide particles to identify macrophages that make the vulnerable plaque that can thrombose carotid and coronary arteries.
The concept is far from being a standard of care, Gilliard told ECR Radio. But on an experimental basis, the hospital has found that the techniques can be used to target drug treatments and to monitor therapy.
Further developments may allow them to be used in a screening setting, he said.
Gilliard traced the development of vascular therapy over the past 15 years, when most analysis was done with angiography and therapy was based on observed obstructions of the lumen. More recent findings that fibrous plaques that may not obstruct the lumen can rupture and thrombose the carotid or coronary arteries have led to additional research on imaging of the vulnerable plaque.
One line of inquiry has involved the use of injected compounds based on ultrasmall iron oxide particles. Research has found that these particles can merge with the macrophages that are contained within the vulnerable plaque and show up as black voids on MR scans, Gilliard said.
"Macrophages take up the injected iron particles and accumulate within the plaque," Gilliard said. "If you lose MRI signals, that shows there are macrophages present. If you have macrophages, you have a much higher risk of plaque."
Using the strategy, the researchers found that individuals who have a blockage on one side of the neck but are otherwise asymptomatic are at high risk for having a blockage on the other side as well.
Iron oxide compounds may have value in imaging other types of inflammation, including multiple sclerosis, some of the dementias, and rheumatoid disease, Gilliard said.
Stay at the forefront of radiology with the Diagnostic Imaging newsletter, delivering the latest news, clinical insights, and imaging advancements for today’s radiologists.
The Reading Room Podcast: A Closer Look at Remote MRI Safety, Part 2
July 25th 2025In the second of a multi-part podcast episode, Emanuel Kanal, M.D. and Tobias Gilk, MRSO, MRSE, share their perspectives on remote MRI safety protocols for ensuring screening accuracy and adherence to conditional implant guidelines as well as a rapid and effective response to adverse events.
Study Reveals Significant Prevalence of Abnormal PET/MRI and Dual-Energy CT Findings with Long Covid
July 22nd 2025In a prospective study involving nearly 100 patients with Long Covid, 57 percent of patients had PET/MRI abnormalities and 90 percent of the cohort had abnormalities on dual-energy CT scans.
The Reading Room Podcast: Current and Emerging Insights on Abbreviated Breast MRI, Part 2
July 23rd 2025In the second part of a multi-part podcast episode, Stamatia Destounis, MD, Emily Conant, MD and Habib Rahbar, MD, discuss key sequences for abbreviated breast MRI and how it stacks up to other breast cancer screening modalities.
Stroke MRI Study Assesses Impact of Motion Artifacts Upon AI and Radiologist Lesion Detection
July 16th 2025Noting a 7.4 percent incidence of motion artifacts on brain MRI scans for suspected stroke patients, the authors of a new study found that motion artifacts can reduce radiologist and AI accuracy for detecting hemorrhagic lesions.