Overview of stem cells and imaging modalities for cardiovascular diseases

Stem cell therapy is emerging as a promising approach to treat heart diseases. Considerable evidence from experimental studies and initial clinical trials suggests that stem cell transplantation promotes systolic function and prevent ventricular remodeling. However, the specific mechanisms by which stem cells improve heart function remain largely unknown. In addition, interpreting the long-term effects of stem cell therapy is difficult because of the limitations of conventional techniques. The recent development of molecular imaging techniques offers great potential to address these critical issues by noninvasively tracking the fate of the transplanted cells. This review offers a focused discussion on the use of stem cell therapy and imaging in the context of cardiology.