ABSTRACT
Targeted imaging of neovascularization in the cardiovascular system and in tumors is a rapidly developing field that promises to enhance our ability to understand how new blood vessels grow in patients and to monitor this growth in response to treatment. A requirement that needs to be met to realize this promise is to understand how new blood vessels impact organ perfusion, metabolism and function (1). To this end, a combination of targeted vascular imaging with readouts of perfusion, metabolism and function may be combined in a multi-modal imaging approach. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) seems ideally suited for this purpose because of its ability to acquire multiple parameters during a single imaging session. Combining these imaging capabilities with targeted MRI of neovessels therefore is an attractive proposition, especially when the impact of neovessels on cardiac (patho)physiology is to be studied. The current chapter will summarize nontargeted MRI approaches to neovascularization, as well as targeted strategies. Considerations regarding choice of MR contrast material will be addressed, together with approaches that improve signal:noise, new developments such as “smart” contrast agents, and direct imaging of superparamagnetic particles.
