Alongside their beneficial effects within the innate immune system, macrophages can also play a detrimental role in some disease settings. This Review discusses the range of nanoparticles that are known to target macrophages and hence, are able to act as imaging agents in cancer, atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction, aortic aneurysm, diabetes and other inflammatory conditions.
- Ralph Weissleder
- Matthias Nahrendorf
- Mikael J. Pittet