CAROTENOIDS FOR ENHANCING SELECTIVE LASER ANGIOPLASTY

THE GOAL OF THIS RESEARCH IS TO DEVELOP A CHROMOPHORE THAT WILL ACCUMULATE IN ATHEROSCLEROTIC PLAQUE, BUT NOT IN NORMALARTERY, AND THEREBY ENABLE LASER RADIATION TO ABLATE PLAQUE SELECTIVELY WITHOUT INJURY TO NORMAL ARTERY. PRELIMINARY RESULTS SHOW THAT BETA-CAROTENE APPEARS TO PREFERENTIALLY ACCUMULATE IN ATHEROSCLEROTIC PLAQUE IN SUFFICIENTLY LARGE AMOUNTS TO SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASE PLAQUE ABSORPTION. PHASE I RESEARCH WILL DETERMINE HOW LOADING PLAQUE WITH BETA-CAROTENE PIGMENT AFFECTS THE QUALITY AND SELECTIVITY OFABLATION OBTAINED BY LASER RADIATION AT THE WAVELENGTH OF THE BETA-CAROTENE ABSORPTION MAXIMA. THE PHYSICAL CHEMISTRYOF THE CAROTENOID FAMILY OF PIGMENTS WILL BE EVALUATED TO DETERMINE THE OPTIMAL CAROTENOID FOR ENHANCING PLAQUE ABLATION. IF PHASE I RESEARCH DEMONSTRATES FEASIBILITY AND LASER ABLATION BENEFITS FROM CAROTENOID LOADING OF PLAQUE, IN PHASE II IT IS PLANNED TO DEVELOP A PHARMACEUTICAL PREPARATION OF THE BEST CAROTENOID, DETERMINE THE OPTIMAL DOSAGE REGIMEN, AND EVALUATE ITS ABILITY TO ENHANCE SAFE, SELECTIVE LASER ABLATION OF PLAQUE IN CLINICAL TRIALS.