Noninvasive monitoring of myocardial angiogenesis

Angiogenesis plays an important role in the pathophysiology of atherosclerosis and after myocardial infarction. Furthermore, angiogenesis has been the focus of many therapeutic strategies. In view of that, a direct and clear understanding of the role of these pathways in the living subject is needed. Molecular imaging has emerged as a powerful tool to study biological processes noninvasively. This review presents and discusses evidence on the feasibility of different molecular imaging strategies to study the involvement of angiogenic pathways in the assessment of the atherosclerotic disease and as a tool to assess angiogenic therapy. Focus is placed on imaging modalities with the potential to be translated to clinical use.