Experimental atherosclerosis studies using Positron Emission Tomography (PET-SCAN)

• Grant number: 13/02353-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: August 01, 2013
• End date: May 06, 2017
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Pharmacy
• Principal Investigator: Dulcineia Saes Parra Abdalla
• Grantee: Soraya Megumi Kazuma
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas (FCF). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated scholarship(s): 14/11135-7 - Study of new imaging agents in experimental atherosclerosis: mimotope peptides of electronegative LDL, BE.EP.DR

Abstract

Atherosclerosis is a major cause of global morbidity and mortality, progress silently for decades before they manifest clinically. It is characterized as a chronic immune-inflammatory disease of the arteries due to the large accumulation of lipids in the intima. One of the factors involved in the progression of atherosclerosis is the presence of a subfraction of particles of low density lipoproteins (LDL) with a minimum of modification, known as electronegative LDL [LDL (-)], which possesses proinflammatory properties, has a higher retention in the intima of arteries and increased length of stay in the bloodstream, resulting in immune-inflammatory responses. The group of Professor. Dr. Dulcineia S. P. Abdalla mapped important epitopes of monoclonal antibodies in the recognition of LDL particles (-) generating mimotope peptides with potential for monitoring the progression of atherosclerosis. Initially, some radiopharmaceuticals that were previously studied in atherosclerosis as 18F-Galacto-RGD in angiogenesis and hypoxia in Fluoromisonidazole-18F will be used as tools in establishing methods of images of lesions by positron emission tomography (PET-SCAN) . The rational and integrated use of equipment such as computed tomography (CT), Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Positron Emission Tomography (PET), Positron Emission Tomography associated with computed tomography (PET-CT), among others, have been used successfully in diagnostic imaging. PET is a nuclear imaging technique that consists of injecting a radioactive substance emitting ³ rays (radioisotopes) to obtain images of their distribution with sufficient sensitivity to detect concentrations of the order of 10-12 M. Thus, the aim of this project is to establish monitoring protocols of atherosclerotic lesions in LDLr knockout mice-/- to later identify them in order to evaluate the potential use of peptide mimotopes of LDL(-) as agents mapping of atherosclerotic lesions with a greater degree of inflammation which could assist in determining the plaque instability and/or to monitor the treatment of atherosclerotic disease. (AU)

Academic Publications

(References retrieved automatically from State of São Paulo Research Institutions)

KAZUMA, Soraya Megumi. Estudos de aterosclerose experimental utilizando tomografia por emissão de pósitrons (PET-Scan). 2017. Doctoral Thesis - Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Conjunto das Químicas (IQ e FCF) (CQ/DBDCQ) São Paulo.