Selective Imaging of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1 and Receptor-2 in Atherosclerotic Lesions in Diabetic and Non-diabetic ApoE−/− Mice

Purpose Plaque vulnerability is associated with inflammation and angiogenesis, processes that rely on vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) signaling via two receptors, VEGFR-1 and VEGFR-2. We have recently reported that enhanced uptake of scVEGF-PEG-DOTA/Tc-99m (scV/Tc) single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) tracer that targets both VEGFR-1 and VEGFR-2, identifies accelerated atherosclerosis in diabetic relative to non-diabetic ApoE−/− mice. Since VEGFR-1 and VEGFR-2 may play different roles in atherosclerotic plaques, we reasoned that selective imaging of each receptor can provide more detailed information on plaque biology.