Molecular imaging of cardiac non-myocytes in situ
Myocardial infarction evokes an organized inflammatory response characterized by the recruitment and infiltration of peripheral immune cells into the damaged region. These cells perpetuate the inflammatory response and mediate the transition to remodeling and scar formation in part through activation of quiescent cardiac fibroblasts. The severity of inflammation and/or myofibroblast activity predicts subsequent remodeling and development of heart failure. But conventional measurements provide limited information on tissue-level cellular changes as for blood biomarkers or are invasive and subject to sampling errors as for tissue biopsies. Radionuclide molecular imaging allows for a virtual biopsy of the cellular content of the heart in cardiovascular disease. Novel probes targeting specific markers of inflammatory leukocytes or myofibroblasts enable non-invasive and longitudinal quantification of pathogenetic processes in the heart early in disease progression. These measurements provide prognostic value for disease progression and allow direct monitoring of therapeutic targets for molecular pathology. The routine use of some of these agents for oncology opens the possibility for rapid translation to clinical applications. Our imaging platform allows for precisely targeted and timed intervention to improve long term outcome in cardiac injury, with direct tissue-level monitoring of the response to treatment.
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