CD163 is a membrane receptor expressed by macrophage lineage. Studies performed in
atherosclerosis have shown that CD163 expression is increased at inflammatory sites, pointing at
the presence of intraplaque hemorrhagic sites or asymptomatic plaques. Hence, imaging of CD163
expressing macrophages is an interesting strategy in order to detect atherosclerotic plaques. We
have prepared a targeted probe based on gold-coated iron oxide nanoparticles vectorized with
an anti-CD163 antibody for the specific detection of CD163 by MRI. Firstly, the specificity of the
targeted probe was validated in vitro by incubation of the probe with CD163(+) or (−) macrophages.
The probe was able to selectively detect CD163(+) macrophages both in human and murine cells.
Subsequently, the targeted probe was injected in 16 weeks old apoE deficient mice developing
atherosclerotic lesions and the pararenal abdominal aorta was imaged by MRI. The accumulation
of probe in the site of interest increased over time and the signal intensity decreased significantly
48 hours after the injection. Hence, we have developed a highly sensitive targeted probe capable of
detecting CD163-expressing macrophages that could provide useful information about the state of
the atheromatous lesionsThis work was funded by Spanish
Government through a Plan Nacional (CTQ2011–27268), FEDER funds through the Fondo de
Investigación Sanitaria (PI10/00072, PI13/00051, PI13/00395, PI13/00802, PI14/00883 and PI14/00386),
CIBERDEM group, RETICS RD12/0042/0038, Programa Miguel Servet (CP10/00479) and cvREMOD
CENIT project (CEN-20091044), the Basque Government through Etortek 2011 (IE11–301), and
Fundacion Lilly, Spanish Society of Atherosclerosis, Spanish Society of Nephrology and Fundacion Renal
Iñigo Alvarez de Toled
