Nuclear cardiology: Where are we and where are we going?

Abstract

with tion purp time ogy obje prog mun app The title of this “Editor’s Page” comes from the of the opening panel discussion at the Eighth lear Cardiology Invitational Conference that was in Park City, Utah, from July 15 to 18, 2006. The sensus reports of the 2006 conference deliberations commendations for future directions will be pubed as a supplement in an upcoming special online plement to the Journal. These invitational conferes, held every other summer, began in the early 0s in Wintergreen, Va, as a grassroots effort by Dr ry Zaret and me, who served as chairs with the t of an ad hoc program committee to bring in ers in the broad field of nuclear cardiology and esentatives from industry to engage in discussions g panels of invitees with expertise in specific cs ranging from instrumentation needs to identifygaps in our knowledge where more clinical rech is needed. The conference also permits the oduction and discussion of new imaging directions n molecular imaging of myocardial or vascular obiology. One unique feature of these conferences he participation of scientists and thought leaders ide the field of nuclear cardiology who are asked ive plenary lectures and remain for the duration of meeting to contribute to the discussions and mmendations. These non–nuclear cardiology exs can come from other imaging fields such as iac magnetic resonance imaging or cardiac ultrand or can be basic researchers in areas such as cardial metabolism or vascular biology. These conferences, which began before the introtion of the annual meetings of the American iety of Nuclear Cardiology (ASNC), serve as a tegic blueprint for both investigators and industry respect to the directions to take to advance the of nuclear cardiology both technically and cliniy. As stated in the letters of invitation to the ference participants, “this influential meeting enes leaders in the fields of cardiology and nuclear iology to plan for development of the field and s on scientific issues relating to the future of lear cardiology.” Another major feature of the ting is the breakout sessions of the panels, which intended to focus on further discussions after the ary sessions, where panel participants present rt talks with a few slides, after which individuals in audience can ask questions or make comments. outcome of the breakout sessions is a narrative rt of conclusions and recommendations during the session of the conference, which then leads to the lished consensus report of that panel. At the 2006 meeting, topics addressed by the panels ded imaging of restorative therapies, computed tomogy and hybrid imaging of form and function, neuronal tion imaging, metabolic imaging, and quantitative pern imaging. The subtopics ranged from clinical imaging tem cell therapy in the first panel to new tracer irements for single photon emission computed tomogy (SPECT) and positron emission tomography (PET) quantitative perfusion imaging, which was covered by last panel. Michael E. Phelps, PhD, Chair of Molecular Medical Pharmacology at the University of California, Angeles, gave an invited lecture entitled “Role of ecular imaging in the era of predictive health.” As is ious, the topics were varied and spanned the breadth of field on nuclear cardiology, as exists in the present and he vision of the future. Any field like nuclear cardiolthat stands still actually goes backward. This is particly relevant to nuclear cardiology, because in the clinical ng right now, myocardial perfusion imaging with CT and PET tracers that have been around for decades predominates. Other applications such as metabolic or onal imaging (eg, with metaiodobenzylguanidine) have slow to be adopted and embraced by industry for duction in the clinic. This is why this invitational erence is so important—it brings leaders in clinical and stigative nuclear cardiology together with the industry ers who make the recommendations regarding whether dvocate in their companies to bring new imaging alities and applications forward for preclinical and cal research and for ultimate Food and Drug Adminison approval. This biennial invitational conference nicely blends the annual ASNC meeting and the biennial Internaal Congress of Nuclear Cardiology for the overall ose of moving the field forward while, at the same , educating the clinicians practicing nuclear cardiol. Each of these meetings and conferences has specific ctives, with the collective outcome being overall ress in the field, which is understood by the comity, and implementation of research findings into ropriate clinical implementation for the benefit of