Imaging atherosclerotic plague lipidomics in vivo

Project summary

Most heart attacks and strokes arise because of the rupture of lipid-rich atherosclerotic plaques in the artery wall. It is practically impossible to foresee where or when this will happen. Van Soest develops a technology to better predict instability of those plaques, so targeted interventions become possible.

Effective strategies to mitigate the societal impact of atherosclerosis include better prediction of events, and more effective interventions. Intravascular lipid imaging will guide coronary interventions, for improved outcomes, and enable precision targeting of expensive medication to responsive patients.