Recent progress in the detection and treatment of atherosclerosis by nanoparticles

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) have high mortality and morbidity in the US and presently rank as one of the leading causes of death. Atherosclerosis (AS) acts as one of the CVDs, playing an important role in mortality because of many lethal complications. The common cause of AS is that low-density lipoprotein (LDL) in the blood circulation enters the intima through endothelial cells that have been broken for various reasons. Under the action of inflammatory factors secreted by damaged endothelial cells, monocytes also enter the inner membrane and differentiate into macrophages. Macrophages engulf the oxidized LDL and become foam cells which eventually become apoptotic. However, recent studies have shown that LDL entry into the intima, an important step in AS, may be associated with endothelial cells actively inhaling LDL through the receptor. Nanotechnology is a promising technology that can be applied in the noninvasive imaging and therapy of AS. Nanoparticles (NPs) have the ability to passively target AS because of their inherent small diameter. They can also be loaded with chemicals for targeting lesions, contrast agents for imaging, and drugs for treatment to achieve accurate diagnosis and treatment of AS. This review consequently highlights the recent progress in the detection and treatment of AS by NPs.