Inflammation-Targeted Molecular Imaging for Myocarditis: Recent Advances in Target Mechanisms, Probe Development, and Translational Applications

Abstract

Inflammation is the key feature of myocarditis, which remains challenging to diagnose due to its complex etiology and nonspecific clinical presentation. In recent years, inflammation-targeted molecular imaging has become a research priority, and noninvasive monitoring of cardiac inflammation is expected to improve the accuracy of clinical diagnosis. This review focuses on the molecular imaging probes and targets for myocarditis in radionuclide imaging, ultrasound imaging, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), discussing the characteristics and applications of each probe-target combination and their potential limitations. Molecular targeted imaging approaches for inflammatory cell phenotypes, metabolic pathways, and endothelial cell markers hold significant potential for clinical translation and allow for early detection and treatment monitoring of myocarditis, thereby enabling better patient care and improving clinical outcomes.