A deleterious gene-by-environment interaction imposed by calcium channel blockers in Marfan syndrome.

Calcium channel blockers (CCBs) are prescribed to patients with Marfan syndrome for prophylaxis against aortic aneurysm progression, despite limited evidence for their efficacy and safety in the disorder. Unexpectedly, Marfan mice treated with CCBs show accelerated aneurysm expansion, rupture, and premature lethality. This effect is both extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK1/2) dependent and angiotensin-II type 1 receptor (AT1R) dependent.

Multimodal polymer nanoparticles with combined 19F magnetic resonance and optical detection for tunable, targeted, multimodal imaging in vivo.

Understanding the complex nature of diseased tissue in vivo requires development of more advanced nanomedicines, where synthesis of multifunctional polymers combines imaging multimodality with a biocompatible, tunable, and functional nanomaterial carrier. Here we describe the development of polymeric nanoparticles for multimodal imaging of disease states in vivo. The nanoparticle design utilizes the abundant functionality and tunable physicochemical properties of synthetically robust polymeric systems to facilitate targeted imaging of tumors in mice.

Functional hyperbranched polymers: toward targeted in vivo 19F magnetic resonance imaging using designed macromolecules.

We have demonstrated the design and synthesis of hyperbranched molecules that can be successfully imaged in vivo using (19)F MRI in under 10 min. These polymers are cytocompatible following chain extension with PEGMA. In addition, functionalization of these macromolecules can be achieved in a facile manner and with accessible and correct ligand presentation.