External authors:

• Dilyana Branimirova Mangarova ( Charite Universitatsmedizin Berlin )
• Carolin Reimann ( Charite Universitatsmedizin Berlin )
• Jan O. Kaufmann ( Charite Universitatsmedizin Berlin , Federal Institute for Materials Research & Testing )
• Jana Moeckel ( Charite Universitatsmedizin Berlin )
• Avan Kader ( Technical University of Munich , Charite Universitatsmedizin Berlin )
• Lisa Christine Adams ( Technical University of Munich )
• Antje Ludwig ( Charite Universitatsmedizin Berlin , German Centre for Cardiovascular Research )
• David Onthank ( Lantheus Med Imaging )
• Simon Robinson ( Lantheus Med Imaging )
• Uwe Karst ( University of Munster )
• Rebecca Helmer ( University of Munster )
• Bernd Hamm ( Charite Universitatsmedizin Berlin )
• Marcus R. Makowski ( Technical University of Munich )
• Julia Brangsch ( Charite Universitatsmedizin Berlin )

Abstract:

Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory condition of the arteries and represents the primary cause of various cardiovascular diseases. Despite ongoing progress, finding effective anti-inflammatory therapeutic strategies for atherosclerosis remains a challenge. Here, we assessed the potential of molecular magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to visualize the effects of 01BSUR, an anti-interleukin-1 beta monoclonal antibody, for treating atherosclerosis in a murine model. Male apolipoprotein E-deficient mice were divided into a therapy group (01BSUR, 2 x 0.3 mg/kg subcutaneously, n = 10) and control group (no treatment, n = 10) and received a high-fat diet for eight weeks. The plaque burden was assessed using an elastin-targeted gadolinium-based contrast probe (0.2 mmol/kg intravenously) on a 3 T MRI scanner. T1-weighted imaging showed a significantly lower contrast-to-noise (CNR) ratio in the 01BSUR group (pre: 3.93042664; post: 8.4007067) compared to the control group (pre: 3.70679168; post: 13.2982156) following administration of the elastin-specific MRI probe (p < 0.05). Histological examinations demonstrated a significant reduction in plaque size (p < 0.05) and a significant decrease in plaque elastin content (p < 0.05) in the treatment group compared to control animals. This study demonstrated that 01BSUR hinders the progression of atherosclerosis in a mouse model. Using an elastin-targeted MRI probe, we could quantify these therapeutic effects in MRI.