The melding of nanomedicine in thrombosis imaging and treatment: a review

Abstract

Thromboembolic diseases constitute a plague in our century, wherein an imbalance of hemostasis leads to thrombus formation and vessels constriction reducing blood flow. Hence, the recent rise of nanomedicine gives birth to advanced diagnostic modalities and therapeutic agents for the early diagnosis and treatment of such diseases. Multimodal nanoagents for the detection of intravascular thrombi and nanovehicles for thrombus-targeted fibrinolytic therapy are few paradigms of nanomedicine approaches to overcome current diagnostic treatment roadblocks and persistent clinical needs. This review highlights the nanomedicine strategies to improve the imaging and therapy of acute thrombi by nanoparticles and nanotheranostics, the detailed imaging of thrombogenic proteins and platelets via atomic force microscopy with the knowledge basis of thrombosis pathophysiology and nanotoxicity.