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Cardiovascular Research Advance Access [Accepted Manuscript] published online on June 24, 2009
Cardiovascular Research, doi:10.1093/cvr/cvp209
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Published on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. © The Author 2009. For permissions please email: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org.

Cardiovascular molecular imaging: an overview

Antti Saraste, MD, PhD, Stephan G. Nekolla, PhD and Markus Schwaiger, MD

Nuklearmedizinische Klinik und Poliklinik, Klinikum rechts der Isar der Technischen Universität München, Ismaningerstr. 22, 81675 München

Corresponding author: Markus Schwaiger, Klinikum rechts der Isar der Technischen Universität München, Nuklearmedizinische Klinik und Poliklinik, Ismaningerstr. 22, 81675 München, Germany, Tel +49 89 4140 2968, Fax +49 89 4140 4841, E-mail: markus.schwaiger{at}tum.de

Molecular imaging is non invasive visualization and measurement of biological processes at the molecular and cellular level within a living organism. This review provides a description of the various molecular imaging techniques for imaging cardiovascular targets and their potential clinical implications. Molecular imaging has relied mainly on nuclear imaging, but advances in nanoparticle probe development have made magnetic resonance imaging and ultrasound as emerging, radiation-free alternatives. Targeted imaging of vascular inflammation or thrombosis may allow improved risk assessment of atherosclerosis by detecting plaques at high risk of acute complications. Imaging probes detecting myocardial apoptosis, metabolic alterations, injury to extracellular matrix, angiogenesis or innervation may provide tools for assessing risk of arrhythmias and left ventricular remodeling associated with progressive cardiac dysfunction and heart failure. While clinical experience remains limited careful evaluation of safety as well as validation of diagnostic and prognostic value of these techniques in clinical trials is still needed.

Time for primary review: 41 Days

Financial assistance: EC-FP6-project DiMI (LSHB-CT-2005-512146), Finnish Foundation for Cardiovascular Research, Bristol-Myers Squib Medical Imaging


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