Imaging the Cardiac Extracellular Matrix.

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Cardiovascular Research
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Cardiovascular disease is a leading global cause of mortality.
• The cardiac extracellular matrix (ECM) is crucial for heart function and is altered in disease states.
• Biomedical imaging offers a pathway to assess the cardiac ECM for improved diagnostics and therapeutics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review current biomedical imaging methods for assessing the cardiac extracellular matrix (ECM).
• To discuss the biological targets and technical capabilities of various ECM imaging modalities.
• To categorize imaging approaches into organ-scale noninvasive and cellular-scale invasive techniques.

Main Methods:

• Review of established and emerging biomedical imaging techniques applicable to the cardiac ECM.
• Categorization of methods based on scale (organ vs. cellular) and invasiveness (noninvasive vs. invasive).
• Discussion of imaging targets, primarily focusing on fibrillar collagen within the cardiac ECM.

Main Results:

• Noninvasive imaging methods offer patient applicability but require further clinical development.
• Invasive imaging methods provide detailed measurements but are limited to ex vivo or preclinical applications.
• Both approaches have distinct capabilities and limitations in characterizing cardiac ECM composition and organization.

Conclusions:

• Biomedical imaging of the cardiac ECM is vital for understanding and managing heart disease.
• Advancements in imaging technologies are crucial for clinical translation of noninvasive methods.
• Future directions involve refining existing techniques and exploring novel applications for cardiac ECM imaging.