ABMS Requires Lifelong Learning

Cardiovascular Molecular Imaging A t this year’s SNM Mid-Winter Meeting in San Antonio, TX, the Cardiovascular Council and Molecular Imaging Center of Excellence cosponsored a program entitled, ‘‘Advances in Cardiovascular Molecular Imaging.’’ The program was organized by Mehran M. Sadeghi, MD, from Yale University, and included a series of lectures focused on the emerging field of molecular cardiovascular imaging. Novel approaches to target identification and development of new ligands for molecular imaging were reviewed. The panel of experts compared different imaging modalities for detection and evaluation of cardiovascular disease at the molecular and cellular levels. The first presentation, ‘‘Proteomic and Genomic Approaches for Identifying Imaging Targets,’’ was by Peter P. Liu, MD. He suggested that proteomics could potentially be utilized to: (1) yield novel biomarkers reflecting cardiovascular disease; (2) establish earlier detection strategies for cardiovascular disease; and (3) monitor responses to therapy. New approaches permit the large-scale identification of peptide sequences in biological samples with mass spectrometry, whereas gel-based techniques provide further refinement on the status of posttranslational modification. The application of this highthroughput protein evaluation with a subset of predefined targets, identified through proteomics, microarray profiling, and pathway analysis, is gaining momentum in the preclinical and clinical evaluation of cardiovascular disease. Proteomic analysis has provided important insights into ischemic heart disease, heart failure, and atherosclerosis. The combination of proteomic biomarkers with clinical phenotypes and genetic haplotype information can lead to more precise diagnosis and therapy for individual patients, facilitating ‘‘personalized medicine.’’ (Continued on page 27N)