Plasmonic photothermal therapy for atheroregression below Glagov threshold

The advent of nanomedicine allowed for the development and design of tools that enhance detailed diagnosis and target treatment of atherosclerosis. Given the rapid progress in nanoagent synthesis and utility, clinical application of these technologies can be anticipated in the near future. This review article focuses on the development of these technologies in interventional cardiology, with the main goal of achieving atheroregression below a Glagov threshold of 40%. Special attention is given to plasmonic photothermal therapy. Vascular remodeling maintains the lumen dimension as long as the external elastic membrane can accommodate an increase in plaque burden that does not surpass a certain threshold. We propose that this threshold becomes the target for the development of strategies that reverse atherosclerosis, especially for the generation of devices and tools of nanomedicine.

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