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Cardiac molecular imaging

Cardiac Molecular Imaging Symposium

Highlighting Advances and Applications in Cardiac Metabolism and Cell Function Imaging
March 27-28, 2003 - Ottawa, Ontario

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in Canada. There is an increasing need for innovative means to understand cardiac disease and its therapeutic strategies. Novel imaging methods have opened windows to cellular function and metabolism to quantify biological processes and the effects of therapy in the heart.

Day one focuses on metabolic alterations in cell, pathophysiology and imaging of these processes. Alterations in metabolism such as ischemia, stunning and hibernation of the myocardium are of fundamental importance in development of ventricular dysfunction and heart failure in coronary artery disease. It is important to understand the pathophysiology of these viable, potentially reversible, states as well as how to recognize them clinically and distinguish them from the permanent injury of necrosis and scar. Disease states such as diabetes mellitus with its unique metabolic alterations on the myocardium, will also be discussed. Sessions on advanced imaging techniques of PET, MRI, PET/CT and other techniques will explore how these can be applied to assess metabolism and cellular function.

Day two will focus on regulation of cardiac cellular function and new therapies. Neurohormonal regulation including brain-cardiac interactions, neurotransmitter release, receptor density, and finally second messenger signal transduction to the contractile apparatus can all potentially be imaged. This yields greater understanding of conditions such as heart failure and its therapies, hopefully leading to new therapeutic developments. Novel revascularization and regeneration techniques including gene and stem cell delivery and expression are now being developed for patients with severe disease, where seemingly irreversible injury had occurred. New approaches in imaging may allow means to evaluate and direct these novel therapies. The program will conclude with a session consolidating the metabolic and cellular function imaging in clinical practice, present and future, and finally with a special closing lecture from Dr. Markus Schwaiger.

A panel of international experts is invited to speak on these topics. This symposium is expected to be of interest to a wide range of cardiovascular scientists, physicians, postdoctoral fellows, graduate students, residents, nurses and technologists in the fields of cardiology, cardiac surgery, nuclear medicine, cardiac imaging, health physics, biochemistry, chemistry, genomics and vascular biology.