Sharmila Dorbala, MD, MPH, MASNC
“Molecular imaging is the key to understanding the precise pathophysiology of cardiac amyloidosis and various other diseases. We will be able to use that knowledge to develop targeted therapies and also prevent organ dysfunction.” Dr. Sharmila Dorbala
FAIRFAX, Va. (PRWEB)
July 25, 2022
Cardiac imaging specialist and cardiac amyloidosis researcher Sharmila Dorbala, MD, MPH, MASNC, will present the Mario Verani Memorial Lecture at the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology (ASNC) 2022 Annual Scientific Session and Exhibition. Her lecture, titled “Molecular Imaging of Cardiac Amyloidosis: From Unraveling Pathophysiology to Transforming Patient Care,” will examine how the recent paradigm shift in the diagnosis and treatment of transthyretin (TTR) cardiac amyloidosis has yielded lessons that may unlock the potential to prevent heart failure from amyloid as well as transform the care of patients with other diseases.
“Molecular imaging is the key to understanding the precise pathophysiology of cardiac amyloidosis and various other diseases,” Dr. Dorbala says. “We will be able to use that knowledge to develop targeted therapies and also prevent organ dysfunction.”
Dr. Dorbala is the director of nuclear cardiology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and a professor of radiology at Harvard Medical School. She is a clinical expert in advanced cardiac SPECT and PET imaging whose research is focused on the molecular imaging of cardiac amyloidosis. Dr. Dorbala served as ASNC’s president in 2020 and is the first author of the most recent SPECT imaging guidelines as well as the two-part ASNC/Multisocietal Expert Consensus Recommendations for Multimodality Imaging in Cardiac Amyloidosis: Evidence Base and Standardized Methods of Imaging and Diagnostic Criteria and Appropriate Utilization.
TTR cardiac amyloidosis develops when a normally occurring protein in the blood begins misfolding and accumulating in the heart muscle. Over time, this accumulation can weaken the heart, often leading to heart failure. Until recently, cardiac amyloidosis was believed to be rare. Molecular-imaging-based research now has shown that TTR cardiac amyloidosis is much more prevalent than previously believed and that the condition can be accurately diagnosed with a noninvasive nuclear imaging test. The imaging test results can be used to guide therapy toward medications that stabilize or even halt the protein deposits in the heart and other organs.
“With cardiac amyloidosis, many of the advances came from luck and timing. Imaging helped us understand the pathophysiology of cardiac amyloidosis at exactly the right time – just as treatments were coming to fruition,” Dr. Dorbala says. “Let’s not wait for more serendipity. We can use molecular imaging with intent to unravel the pathophysiology of disease and to develop new imaging agents and therapeutic agents based on that pathophysiology. This is the formula for transforming patient care in the future.”
Appropriately, the theme of ASNC2022 is “Bold Approaches to Transforming Patient Care.” The conference will convene Sept. 8-11 in Orlando, Florida. Dr. Dorbala will present the Mario Verani Memorial Lecture on Sept. 9 during the Opening Plenary Session.
To register to attend ASNC2022 educational sessions as a member of the press or to arrange interviews with ASNC2022 speakers or other experts, contact Jennifer Taylor Howell at info@asnc.org.
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About the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology
For over 25 years, the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology and its more than 4,500 members have been improving cardiovascular outcomes through image-guided patient management. As the only society dedicated solely to the field of nuclear cardiology, ASNC establishes standards for excellence in cardiovascular imaging through the development of clinical guidelines, professional medical education, advocacy and research development. ASNC provides peer-reviewed original articles through its official publication Journal of Nuclear Cardiology and operates the nation’s first noninvasive cardiac imaging registry, ImageGuide Registry®, to benchmark quality and improve patient care. For more information, visit http://www.asnc.org.
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