What's New in Cardiac MRI? — May 27, 2026
AI-summarised digest of 64 PubMed articles on Cardiac MRI published in the last 7 days.
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What’s New in Cardiac MRI?
May 27, 2026 · 64 articles · 15 research themes · covering May 20, 2026 – May 27, 2026
Overview
This week’s digest is dominated by a clear push toward more precise, earlier, and more generalizable cardiovascular imaging—especially cardiac MRI. Multiple studies and reviews emphasize tissue characterization (T1/T2 mapping, LGE, diffuse fibrosis, strain, and even elasticity/“mechanical” metrics) as a way to detect disease before conventional functional measures fall. This theme runs across inherited cardiomyopathies (DMD and dystrophinopathy surveillance; sex-specific progression), cardiomyopathy phenotyping (amyloidosis vs HCM; alcoholic vs idiopathic DCM; end-stage HCM granularity), and post-injury remodeling (data-driven CMR remodeling phenotypes after STEMI). Even when echocardiography is widely available, the recurring message is that CMR provides richer mechanistic information—often with better diagnostic discrimination or prognostic value.
A second major thread is multimodality and “mechanism-first” diagnostics for complex clinical presentations. In suspected acute coronary syndromes and MINOCA, fast, layer-resolved CMR strain and CMR-guided differential diagnosis help distinguish ischemic mechanisms, embolic etiologies, and nonischemic mimics. For inflammatory heart disease (myocarditis and cardiac sarcoidosis), the literature highlights how PET/CT (FDG) and CMR complement each other, and how protocol optimization and combined PET + perfusion strategies can improve diagnostic discrimination when biopsy is limited. Across these conditions, the dominant clinical takeaway is that matching the imaging modality to the specific pathology (inflammation vs fibrosis vs ischemia vs malignancy) improves both diagnostic accuracy and treatment planning.
Finally, the digest reflects the rapid maturation of AI and quantitative imaging workflows. Several papers focus on robust deployment (AI-assisted CMR quantification agreement, domain-generalized segmentation, and CMR foundation-style pretraining), while others explore multimodal prediction (ECG + CMR embeddings for LV dysfunction prediction; CMR-derived hemodynamic forces for immunotherapy cardiotoxicity risk). Together with studies on normative imaging references (e.g., myocardial T2*), these works point toward a future where imaging is not only more informative, but also faster, standardized, and more scalable—supporting earlier risk stratification and potentially reducing reliance on invasive procedures.
Cardiac MRI in inherited muscular dystrophy and sex-specific progression
Multimodality Imaging to Determine Underlying Causes of Myocardial Infarction With Nonobstructive Coronary Arteries in Women and Men.
This prospective international diagnostic study enrolled patients with clinically diagnosed myocardial infarction with nonobstructive coronary arteries (MINOCA) across 28 sites in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom to characterize MINOCA mechanisms and predictors of abnormal multimodality imaging findings, with an initial women-only phase followed by inclusion of both sexes. Multimodality imaging identified specific MINOCA etiologies and allowed assessment of which patient factors predicted imaging abnormalities, including evaluation of sex differences in underlying mechanisms. These findings support imaging-guided MINOCA workup to distinguish true MINOCA causes from mimicking conditions and to refine risk stratification by sex.
Reynolds HR, Maehara A, Heydari B et al. · Circulation · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Advanced right ventricular evaluation in pulmonary hypertension: the role of 3D echocardiography and strain analysis.
In 49 patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) or chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH), investigators compared semiautomated three-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography measures of right ventricular (RV) size/function and RV free-wall strain against cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (cMRI) to discriminate clinical risk groups. Three-dimensional echocardiography and RV free-wall strain differentiated low versus non-low clinical risk categories in a way that could approximate cMRI-based assessment. This provides a more accessible imaging strategy for prognostic RV evaluation in PAH/CTEPH when cMRI is costly or time-consuming.
Amiri U, Keceli E, Andersen MØ et al. · European heart journal. Imaging methods and practice · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Traditional left ventricular indices outperform novel cardiovascular magnetic resonance-derived left atrial parameters in predicting adverse left ventricular remodelling after ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction.
This post-hoc analysis of the EURO-ICE trial evaluated 200 anterior ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients to determine whether traditional left ventricular (LV) indices or novel cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR)-derived left atrial (LA) parameters (including LA strain and left atrioventricular coupling index, LACI) best predicted early adverse LV remodeling. Traditional LV indices outperformed the novel CMR-derived LA parameters for predicting adverse LV remodeling after anterior STEMI. Clinically, this suggests that routine LV measures may be more prognostically reliable than LA-derived metrics for early post-STEMI remodeling risk stratification.
Yosofi B, Zelis JM, Raafs A et al. · International journal of cardiology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Inaugural cardiac involvement in Goodpasture syndrome: a case report.
This case report describes a 44-year-old Tunisian woman presenting with non–ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTEMI) and elevated troponin as the inaugural manifestation of Goodpasture syndrome (anti–glomerular basement membrane disease). Cardiac MRI demonstrated transmural myocardial necrosis, and subsequent development of massive hemoptysis, acute respiratory distress syndrome, and acute kidney injury led to identification of anti-GBM disease. The report highlights that autoimmune anti-GBM disease can present with myocardial injury mimicking acute coronary syndrome, and that cardiac MRI can be pivotal in recognizing cardiac involvement.
Lassoued T, Ferjani S, Abbassi M et al. · Journal of medical case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
An international randomised controlled trial of a novel antimicrobial dressing for peripheral intravenous catheters (ProP trial).
The ProP trial was an international, multicenter, open-label, two-arm adaptive randomized controlled trial assessing feasibility and preliminary outcomes of chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG)-impregnated dressings for peripheral intravenous catheters (PIVCs) in hospital patients. The study evaluated whether CHG-impregnated dressings reduce PIVC complications such as phlebitis and related infectious events compared with standard care. If effective, this would support an antimicrobial dressing strategy to lower PIVC-associated morbidity and potentially reduce healthcare-associated infection and antimicrobial use.
Drugeon B, Ball DL, Kleidon TM et al. · Antimicrobial resistance and infection control · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Cone reconstruction for EBSTEIN anomaly: Effect on tricuspid valve growth and biventricular remodeling in children.
This retrospective study of 17 pediatric patients (<18 years) with Ebstein anomaly (Carpentier types A, B, and C) evaluated cone reconstruction (CR) without prosthetic annuloplasty materials and its effects on tricuspid valve growth and biventricular remodeling. Using echocardiography and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR), the authors reported surgical outcomes including postoperative changes in tricuspid valve and biventricular size/function, with no operative mortality observed. The findings inform pediatric surgical planning by characterizing how CR influences cardiac remodeling over time in Ebstein anomaly.
Lee JH, Kim WH, Baek SM et al. · Interdisciplinary cardiovascular and thoracic surgery · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Unveiling the invisible: the role of multimodality imaging in diagnosing primary cardiac lymphoma.
This case-based report reviewed the diagnostic challenge of primary cardiac lymphoma (PCL), emphasizing multimodality imaging to differentiate PCL from conditions that mimic acute coronary syndrome. In a 54-year-old woman with palpitations, chest discomfort, slight troponin elevation, and lateral ST-segment depressions, transthoracic echocardiography showed a peri-atrial mass and cardiac CT excluded coronary artery disease while demonstrating a hypodense process with an “encasement sign” around the left circumflex artery. The report underscores that multimodality imaging can reveal malignancy masquerading as ischemia, enabling more accurate diagnosis and management of PCL.
Aronovich A, Sarid N, Hirsh M et al. · The international journal of cardiovascular imaging · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Apical Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy in ATTR Val142Ile Carrier: When Genes and Phenotype Diverge.
This JACC Case Reports report describes a 61-year-old African-American man with longstanding apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (ApHCM) who was found to carry the pathogenic transthyretin (TTR) V142I variant. Despite genotype positivity, technetium-99m pyrophosphate scintigraphy (H/CL 1.01, visual grade 0) excluded transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM), and cardiac MRI confirmed apical-predominant hypertrophy with patchy late gadolinium enhancement. The case illustrates incomplete, age-dependent penetrance of TTR V142I and the importance of combining genotype with imaging (PYP and CMR) to distinguish ATTR-CM from phenocopies like ApHCM.
Khayat O, Moumneh MB, Salman O et al. · JACC. Case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Analysis of OSCE-based clinical competency assessment among critical care medicine residents in Zhejiang Province, China: a multicenter retrospective cohort study.
This multicenter retrospective cohort study analyzed OSCE-based clinical competency assessment data from 175 critical care medicine residents across seven standardized residency training bases in Zhejiang Province, China (2023–2025). By comparing OSCE scores across stations and training bases, the study identified performance patterns and educational gaps to inform optimization of critical care training. The results provide actionable evidence for improving residency curricula and targeted remediation based on objective OSCE station-level performance.
Chen C, Mao W, Cai K et al. · BMC medical education · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Smaller Right Ventricle Results in Poorer Exercise Performance in Young Patients With Repaired Tetralogy of Fallot.
This study evaluated young patients with surgically repaired tetralogy of Fallot (rTOF) with pulmonary insufficiency using cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) to relate right ventricular (RV) size/function to exercise performance. In 37 patients (mean age 17±5 years), smaller RV size was associated with poorer exercise performance, with oxygen pulse (V̇O2/heart rate) used as a surrogate for stroke volume and correlations assessed against CMR measures including pulmonary regurgitant fraction. These findings support using RV size/function metrics to better identify rTOF patients at risk of exercise limitation who may benefit from timely pulmonary valve replacement.
Mhanna C, Kourpas K, Tsuda T · Circulation journal : official journal of the Japanese Circulation Society · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Association of COVID-19 public health measures with cardiac non-invasive testing utilisation in Ontario, Canada: a population-based, retrospective time series analysis.
This population-based retrospective time series study examined how Ontario, Canada’s COVID-19 public health lockdown measures affected cardiac non-invasive testing (NIT) utilization among all patients receiving such diagnostics in a single-payer registry system. Cardiac NIT rates and temporal patterns changed after the first and subsequent provincial lockdowns compared with pre-lockdown periods. These findings support that pandemic policy can measurably disrupt cardiovascular diagnostic pathways, informing planning to protect timely cardiac evaluation during future public health emergencies.
Lin E, Mendis B, Odugbemi T et al. · BMJ open · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Prognostic Implications of Coronary Microvascular Dysfunction in ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction by Obesity Status.
This multicentre prospective cohort study assessed whether coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD) measured by angiography-derived index of microcirculatory resistance (angio-IMR) predicts long-term cardiovascular outcomes in ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients stratified by obesity status (BMI categories). CMD was defined as angio-IMR > 40 U and its prognostic implications were evaluated across healthy weight, overweight, and obesity groups after primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI). The results clarify how obesity modifies the risk associated with angiography-defined CMD in STEMI, which could refine post-PPCI risk stratification and targeted follow-up.
Guo Q, Guo Y, Shi S et al. · Diabetes, obesity & metabolism · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Two decades of pulmonary vascular disease and ischemic heart disease mortality in the united states: A longitudinal analysis using CDC WONDER (1999-2020).
This retrospective longitudinal analysis used the CDC WONDER database to quantify pulmonary vascular disease (PVD) and ischemic heart disease (IHD) mortality trends and demographic disparities among U.S. adults aged ≥45 years from 1999–2020. Using age-adjusted mortality rates per 100,000 and annual percent change (APC) from Joinpoint regression, the study reported combined temporal mortality patterns for PVD and IHD over two decades. These findings highlight evolving cardiovascular mortality burdens and disparities, supporting public health prioritization for conditions affecting pulmonary vasculature alongside ischemic disease.
Nawaz A, Hafeezullah F, Siddiqui ZA et al. · Journal of thrombosis and thrombolysis · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Coronary artery Ectatic/Aneurysmatic disease: From pathophysiology to management.
This narrative review synthesized current knowledge on coronary artery ectatic/aneurysmatic disease (CAE/CAA), focusing on mechanisms (atherosclerosis, genetic predisposition, systemic autoimmunity, infectious triggers) and clinical management across adult and pediatric etiologies. It emphasizes that CAE/CAA increases risks of thrombosis, embolization, and acute coronary syndromes even without obstructive coronary artery disease. The review is clinically significant because it consolidates diagnostic and therapeutic considerations for a rare but high-risk coronary vascular disorder.
Markousis-Mavrogenis G, Ebrahimihoor E, Lima JAC et al. · Progress in cardiovascular diseases · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Sustained and discontinued operational changes to ethics committees in the post-pandemic era: a qualitative study in Kenya.
This qualitative study investigated sustained versus discontinued operational changes to ethics committee (EC) processes after the COVID-19 pandemic among EC stakeholders in Kenya. It explored which pandemic-era rapid review and workflow adaptations were retained and which were dropped once public health emergency conditions eased. The findings are significant for strengthening resilient, ethically robust research oversight systems for future pandemics while maintaining participant protections.
Kebenei E, Cheruiyot D, Bukusi EA et al. · BMC medical ethics · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Catheter ablation of epicardial premature ventricular complexes in patients with and without cardiac scar.
This retrospective study evaluated outcomes of catheter ablation for epicardial premature ventricular complexes (PVCs) in patients with and without myocardial scar assessed by late gadolinium enhancement cardiac magnetic resonance (LGE-CMR). Acute and long-term procedural outcomes were compared between epicardial PVC patients with scar versus those without scar. The results inform procedural planning and prognosis for epicardial PVC ablation by showing how cardiac scar burden may affect ablation success and durability.
Jiwani S, Arps K, Shah M et al. · Journal of interventional cardiac electrophysiology : an international journal of arrhythmias and pacing · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Filamin C Genetic Cardiomyopathy Presenting as Acute Myocardial Injury.
This JACC Case Reports report described a 46-year-old man with acute myocardial injury characterized by nonischemic cardiac magnetic resonance findings and markedly elevated high-sensitivity troponin. Genetic testing identified a pathogenic FLNC variant, and follow-up showed persistent ring-like subepicardial fibrosis with preserved ventricular function and no arrhythmias. The case is clinically important because it links a specific filamin C (FLNC) genetic cardiomyopathy phenotype to a distinctive CMR pattern that can guide diagnosis in nonischemic troponin presentations.
Alexandrino FB, Curtis B, Nguyen C et al. · JACC. Case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Rotator Cuff Repair With Bone Marrow Stimulation Versus Rotator Cuff Repair With Patch Augmentation: A Systematic Review.
This systematic review compared rotator cuff repair (RCR) augmented with bone marrow stimulation (BMS) versus RCR augmented with patch augmentation (PA) regarding clinical efficacy and retear rates. It searched PubMed, the Cochrane Library, and Embase for level 1–2 studies directly comparing RCR plus BMS or RCR plus PA. The review is significant for informing evidence-based selection of biologic/construct augmentation strategies to optimize healing and reduce retear after rotator cuff repair.
Lim JJ, McCarty C, Belk JW et al. · Orthopaedic journal of sports medicine · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Myocardial Infarction With Nonobstructive Coronary Arteries With Coronary Microvascular Dysfunction Associated With Systemic Sclerosis: Case Report.
This case report described myocardial infarction with nonobstructive coronary arteries (MINOCA) caused by coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD) in a patient with systemic sclerosis (SSc). The report highlights invasive coronary physiology testing using coronary flow reserve (CFR) and the index of microvascular resistance (IMR), supported by cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR), to confirm SSc-related CMD as the mechanism. The clinical significance is that it documents an invasive-and-imaging-confirmed pathway for SSc-associated MINOCA, which can improve diagnostic accuracy and management for similar patients.
Ohga Y, Nishikawa T, Hirai A et al. · Case reports in vascular medicine · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Pre-perfusion coronary wedge pressure and microvascular obstruction in anterior ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI): An analysis from the EUROICE study.
This EUROICE study analysis evaluated whether pre-perfusion coronary wedge pressure (CWP) during balloon occlusion predicts microvascular obstruction (MVO) on cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) in anterior ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI). It focused on the limitation that standard invasive indices like index of microvascular resistance (IMR) are measured after reperfusion and may miss microvascular compromise during coronary occlusion. The findings are significant because they test a simple, pre-reperfusion invasive marker (CWP) for identifying microvascular injury risk earlier, potentially improving prognosis and stratification after STEMI.
Butt H, van Beek K, Sajjad U et al. · International journal of cardiology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Left Ventricular Metastasis from Hepatocellular Carcinoma Presenting With Systemic Embolization and Stroke.
This case report studied left ventricular (LV) cardiac metastasis from hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in a 71-year-old man presenting with acute ischemic stroke and systemic embolization. Transthoracic echocardiography and cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) identified an LV mass consistent with metastasis rather than thrombus, explaining multifocal infarcts and other malignancy-associated embolic findings. The report highlights that rare LV involvement by HCC can present as embolic stroke and that CMR can be pivotal for distinguishing tumor from thrombus to guide management.
Rashwan R, Kholeif Z, Vega-Sanabria B et al. · JACC. Case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Rethinking Post-Infarction Remodeling: Identification and Validation of Data-Driven Cardiac MRI Phenotypes for Risk Stratification.
This prospective longitudinal study analyzed reperfused ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients to derive and validate data-driven cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) remodeling phenotypes using unsupervised clustering of longitudinal CMR measures. Conventional adverse left ventricular remodeling (ALVR) definitions based on changes in LV end-diastolic volume index and ejection fraction had limited prognostic value, whereas the identified CMR phenotypes provided improved risk stratification. The findings support phenotype-based CMR assessment after STEMI as a more informative approach for predicting outcomes than standard ALVR thresholds.
Xiang JY, Wu J, Zhao Y et al. · European heart journal. Cardiovascular Imaging · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Epicardial adipose tissue is associated with impaired outcomes in genotype-positive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
This retrospective study quantified epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) by cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) in genotype-positive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) patients to test whether EAT volume predicts malignant ventricular arrhythmias (MVA) and heart failure (HF). Patients with high EAT volume had worse outcomes, with multivariable Cox regression linking greater EAT to increased risk of MVA and/or HF events. The results suggest that CMR-measured EAT may serve as an additional prognostic biomarker in genotype-positive HCM beyond traditional clinical and imaging risk markers.
Mahmoud B, Koppelaar AJ, Michels M et al. · European journal of heart failure · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Hemodynamic and metabolomic responses to infusion of GLP-1 agonist exenatide in pulmonary arterial hypertension.
This first-in-disease clinical study evaluated acute hemodynamic and metabolomic responses to intravenous exenatide, a GLP-1 receptor agonist, in patients with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH), alongside a monocrotaline (MCT) PAH rodent model. Exenatide was well tolerated and acutely reduced mean pulmonary artery pressure, with multisite blood sampling showing metabolomic changes and CMR assessing cardiac effects in the MCT rat model. The study provides early translational evidence that GLP-1 agonism may beneficially modulate pulmonary vascular physiology and RV-related metabolic pathways in PH.
Samaranayake CB, Niglas M, Baxan N et al. · JCI insight · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Prognostic Impact of LGE Granularity Using CMR in End‑Stage Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy.
This retrospective cohort study evaluated end-stage hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) patients referred for CMR at three French tertiary centers (2008–2024) to determine the prognostic impact of late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) granularity features, including location, extent, and pattern. In end-stage HCM (LVEF <50%), the LGE granularity model stratified risk and provided prognostic information beyond conventional CMR findings. The work supports using LGE granularity phenotyping on CMR to improve prognostication in advanced HCM where outcomes are poor.
Hudelo J, Garot J, Toupin S et al. · Circulation. Cardiovascular imaging · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Right Heart Diastology, Where Are We Now?
This narrative review studied the current state of right heart diastology by synthesizing evidence from invasive physiology, imaging, and human myocardial data across pulmonary vascular disease, heart failure, and congenital heart disease. It reframes right heart diastolic dysfunction as a unified diastolic unit integrating right atrial function, right ventricular compliance, and pulmonary arterial load, emphasizing that relaxation/compliance abnormalities often precede overt right systolic failure. The review highlights gaps in measurement consistency and provides a conceptual framework to better define and quantify right heart diastolic dysfunction clinically.
Kocx CJ, Hemnes AR, Healy J et al. · Circulation research · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Metabolomics of Right Ventricular Function in Pulmonary Hypertension.
This study analyzed the PVDOMICS (Pulmonary Vascular Disease Phenomics) cohort to identify metabolites and pathways associated with right ventricular (RV) systolic function across pulmonary hypertension (PH) groups, including outside group 1 PH. Using RV systolic function metrics from echocardiography (fractional area change, global longitudinal strain) and cardiac magnetic resonance (ejection fraction), the investigators found metabolite associations with RV function that varied by pulmonary vascular resistance, PH group 1 status, and sex. The results suggest distinct metabolic signatures of RV dysfunction in PH and support metabolomics as a potential tool for mechanistic stratification and risk prediction.
Chacon-Barahona J, Chung SJ, Garry JD et al. · Circulation research · (2026) · 1 citations · View on PubMed ↗
Distinct CMR Phenotype in Alcoholic Cardiomyopathy: Greater Myocardial Fibrosis and Right Ventricular Dysfunction Compared with Idiopathic Dilated Cardiomyopathy.
This retrospective CMR study compared alcoholic cardiomyopathy (ACM) with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in 148 consecutive patients referred for CMR at a single center, focusing on late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) subpatterns and biventricular function. ACM showed greater myocardial fibrosis and more pronounced right ventricular dysfunction than idiopathic DCM, with logistic regression models adjusted for age, sex, LVEF, and RVEF identifying distinct CMR features. The findings indicate that CMR can differentiate ACM from idiopathic DCM and may improve diagnosis and phenotyping of this preventable cardiomyopathy.
Vallejo-García V, Barreiro-Pérez M, González-Calle D et al. · Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Serum vs. tissue cytokine dysregulation in SLE-associated myocarditis: a hypothesis from an African cohort perspective.
This hypothesis-driven study in an African mixed-ancestry cohort investigated whether serum cytokine dysregulation aligns with cardiac tissue inflammatory cytokine profiles in SLE-associated myocarditis. Using immunoassays for serum cytokines and CMR-based standard-of-care assessments alongside tissue inflammatory profiling, the authors compared controls (n=6), SLE without myocarditis (n=13), and SLE with myocarditis (n=14) and found discordant patterns between serum and tissue cytokine dysregulation. The findings suggest that tissue-level immune mechanisms may not be fully captured by serum biomarkers, informing future biomarker and mechanistic studies in lupus myocarditis.
Ollewagen T, Toit RD, Karamchand S et al. · Molecular medicine (Cambridge, Mass.) · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Investigation of Concordance between Artificial Intelligence and Manual Measurements of the Cardiac Parameters in Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging.
This prospective external validation study tested concordance between a commercially available AI system and manual measurements for biventricular parameters and per-segment LV wall thickness (LVWT) in CMR. In 100 healthy Chinese volunteers scanned on a 3.0T system (cine short-axis and long-axis), AI-derived measurements showed agreement with manual segmental LVWT and biventricular metrics. Independent validation like this supports safer deployment of AI-assisted CMR quantification in routine clinical workflows.
Tang R, Xu Z, Huang Z et al. · Journal of imaging informatics in medicine · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Changes in myocardial elasticity derived from in-vivo cardiac MRI in a swine model of ischemic heart failure.
This preclinical swine study evaluated myocardial elasticity changes after ischemic heart failure using in-vivo cardiac MRI–derived secant modulus (a wall stress–wall strain measure) rather than relying solely on LV ejection fraction. In male Yucatan mini swine (N=15) undergoing 90-minute occlusion–reperfusion, the authors quantified secant modulus over time to characterize remodeling and identify potential early detection markers. The approach suggests that MRI-based elasticity metrics may detect myocardial mechanical deterioration earlier and more comprehensively than EF alone.
Lefkowitz E, Ref J, Bravo F et al. · Scientific reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Contrastive language image pretraining for a cardiac magnetic resonance image embedding with zero-shot capabilities.
This study developed CMR-CLIP, a contrastive vision-language pretraining model that treats CMR images as videos to learn embeddings jointly from CMR studies and their associated reports, enabling zero-shot capabilities. Trained on 11,028 single-center studies, the model learns transferable CMR representations without requiring precise image–text pairing for each frame. This could reduce labeling burden for CMR downstream tasks and improve retrieval or classification using only textual prompts.
Nakashima M, Qiu J, Huang P et al. · Nature communications · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
FDG PET for cardiac sarcoidosis: Protocol optimization, quantification, pitfalls, and multimodality imaging integration.
This narrative review summarized how FDG PET is optimized and quantified for cardiac sarcoidosis (CS), including protocol considerations, common pitfalls, and how PET integrates with multimodality imaging (echocardiography and CMR) in a probabilistic diagnostic framework. The authors emphasize practical steps for dietary preparation, acquisition/quantification strategies, and interpretation pitfalls that affect diagnostic accuracy and management decisions. By consolidating current best practices, the review aims to improve reliability of PET-based CS diagnosis and integration with CMR and clinical findings.
Wopperer SB, Kronzer E, Ivare J et al. · Seminars in nuclear medicine · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Rare presentation of right ventricular myxoma causing severe anaemia and acute kidney injury.
This BMJ case report studied a 53-year-old man with a rare right ventricular cardiac myxoma presenting with severe anaemia and acute kidney injury, using transthoracic and transoesophageal echocardiography, FDG PET/CT, cardiac MRI, and endomyocardial biopsy. The key finding was that multimodality imaging and biopsy supported a large right ventricular myxoma, which was successfully treated with surgical excision and tricuspid valve repair. Clinically, it highlights the diagnostic complexity of intracardiac masses in the right ventricle and the value of a structured imaging-and-biopsy pathway when systemic complications (anaemia, AKI) are present.
Shah S, Gill JS, Gill J et al. · BMJ case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Current state of knowledge on the epidemiology, aetiology, diagnosis, and management of heart involvement in eosinophilia. A Clinical Consensus Statement of the ESC Working Group on Myocardial & Pericardial Diseases.
This 2026 ESC Working Group clinical consensus statement reviewed the epidemiology, aetiology, diagnosis, and management of heart involvement in eosinophilia (eosinophilic heart disease) across affected patient subgroups. The key finding was that eosinophilic heart disease is frequently overlooked and may occur without peripheral blood eosinophilia, making biopsy of the affected organ/tissue essential for correct diagnosis. Scientifically and clinically, it aims to improve early recognition and guide management to reduce the substantial morbidity and mortality of eosinophilic cardiac involvement.
Kuchynka P, Brucato A, Tschöpe C et al. · European journal of heart failure · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Validation of a novel three-dimensional ultrafast cardiac magnetic resonance imaging protocol in adolescents: a non-inferiority study compared with the two-dimensional gold standard.
This non-inferiority study evaluated a novel 3-dimensional ultrafast cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) protocol versus a conventional 2-dimensional gold-standard protocol for assessing cardiac function, strain, and tissue characterization in 39 adolescents (mean age 12.2 years) at 3T. The key finding was that the 3D ultrafast CMR protocol performed non-inferiorly to the 2D approach while addressing pediatric constraints such as long acquisition times and multiple breath-holds. This supports broader clinical adoption of faster 3D CMR for pediatric cardiac assessment, potentially improving feasibility and patient tolerance.
Chen W, Liu S, Li W et al. · Pediatric radiology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Diagnostic Value of Native T1 and T2 Mapping in Differentiating Clinically Suspected Amyloidosis and Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy.
This retrospective single-center Diagnostics study assessed whether non-contrast native T1 and T2 mapping on cardiac MRI can differentiate clinically suspected cardiac amyloidosis from hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) in 20 amyloidosis patients, 20 HCM patients, and 20 healthy controls. The key finding was that native T1 and T2 mapping provided supportive diagnostic discrimination between amyloidosis and HCM when contrast-enhanced imaging is contraindicated. Clinically, it offers a non-contrast imaging strategy to improve diagnostic accuracy in the common real-world scenario where gadolinium-based contrast cannot be used.
Unal S, Uzun C, Bozer Uludag S et al. · Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
T1 Mapping In Differentiating Healthy And Pathological Myocardium.
This Anatolian Journal of Cardiology study investigated optimal measurement location and technique for native T1 mapping on 1.5T CMR and compared diagnostic performance across non-ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy (NIDCM), hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), and controls. The key finding was that standardized native T1 mapping approaches can differentiate healthy myocardium from pathological myocardium in NIDCM and HCM cohorts. Scientifically, it supports harmonization of native T1 acquisition to improve reproducibility and diagnostic utility of T1 mapping in cardiomyopathies.
Bozer Uludağ S, Ünal S, Peker E et al. · Anatolian journal of cardiology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
[Chagas cardiomyopathy].
This 2026 review article on Chagas cardiomyopathy studied the clinical problem of chronic cardiac involvement in patients infected with Trypanosoma cruzi. The key finding was that early detection of myocardial involvement is challenging due to often silent progression for decades, and that cardiovascular imaging is central for diagnosis and risk stratification, with echocardiography for function/structure and cardiac MRI for tissue characterization and fibrosis detection. Clinically, it emphasizes imaging-based strategies to identify patients at risk of heart failure, malignant ventricular arrhythmias, and sudden cardiac death.
Redzepi B, Mainta I, Jackson Y et al. · Revue medicale suisse · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
[Cardiac sarcoidosis in 2026 : current perspectives].
This 2026 review on cardiac sarcoidosis studied diagnostic pathways for symptomatic cardiac sarcoidosis in the context of systemic sarcoidosis. The key finding was that endomyocardial biopsy remains the standard but has limited sensitivity (~20%), so prompt diagnosis relies on comprehensive clinical assessment augmented by advanced imaging such as [18F]-FDG PET/CT and cardiac MRI. Scientifically and clinically, it underscores the need for multimodality evaluation to reduce morbidity and mortality from arrhythmias, heart failure, and sudden cardiac death.
Sritharan A, Hermann Kamani C, Lu H et al. · Revue medicale suisse · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Relationship between hemodynamic forces based on CMR and major adverse cardiac events in cancer patients treated with anti-PD-1/PD-L1 immune checkpoint inhibitors.
This prospective BMC Medical Imaging study examined whether hemodynamic forces derived from cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) parameters predict major adverse cardiac events (MACE) in cancer patients receiving anti-PD-1/PD-L1 immune checkpoint inhibitors. The key finding was the study’s focus on linking CMR-derived hemodynamic forces measured around 12 weeks after initiating immunotherapy to subsequent MACE risk in patients with normal baseline cardiac function. Clinically, it aims to identify CMR-based risk markers to better anticipate and manage immunotherapy-associated cardiotoxicity.
Gao D, Wang Y, Shi Y et al. · BMC medical imaging · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Natural history of cardiac involvement in women carrying pathogenic DMD gene variants: a 7-year longitudinal study.
This 7-year longitudinal Journal of Neurology study investigated the natural history of cardiac involvement in 34 women carrying pathogenic dystrophin (DMD) gene variants (19 predicted Duchenne, 15 Becker) using serial cardiac assessments including CMR with late gadolinium enhancement and evaluation of arrhythmias/conduction. The key finding was that over long-term follow-up, women with pathogenic DMD variants show evolving ventricular function, myocardial fibrosis, and arrhythmia/conduction abnormalities. Clinically, it supports long-term cardiac surveillance in this population and improves understanding of sex-specific disease progression in DMD-related cardiomyopathy.
Lyu Z, Joensen H, Poulsen NS et al. · Journal of neurology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Distribution of diffuse myocardial fibrosis is uneven and associated with left ventricular function in severe aortic stenosis.
This Open Heart study examined severe aortic stenosis patients (n=43) to determine whether diffuse myocardial fibrosis (DMF) distribution is uneven and how it relates to left ventricular (LV) function, using CMR tissue characteristics and myocardial biopsy comparisons. The key finding was that DMF distribution was not uniform and that the pattern/extent of diffuse fibrosis was associated with LV functional impairment. Scientifically and clinically, it suggests that CMR-based DMF quantification may help identify patients with worse LV function and potentially guide expectations about reversibility after aortic valve surgery.
Holmberg E, Engvall J, Nylander E et al. · Open heart · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Cardiac MRI in cardiac dystrophinopathy: recommendations on imaging.
This article reviews cardiac MRI (CMR) imaging recommendations for patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and cardiac dystrophinopathy, focusing on how to monitor progressive cardiomyopathy. It finds that CMR can detect myocardial tissue changes before measurable decline in cardiac pump function and maintains measurement accuracy throughout disease progression, whereas echocardiography (echo) is more limited despite being widely available. The clinical significance is that standardized CMR surveillance may improve early detection and treatment monitoring of DMD-related cardiac involvement and guide heart-drug response assessment.
McDiarmid A, Augustine D, Coats C et al. · Open heart · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Cardiac MRI for cardiomyopathies: fibrosis, strain, and prognostic phenotyping
Myocardial T2 Star (T2*) in a Large Healthy Population: Correction Factors for a Segmental Approach Using Commercially Available Software in the Current MRI Era.
This prospective study examined myocardial T2* mapping in a large cohort of healthy volunteers stratified by sex and age using Black Blood MEGE T2* CMR to derive normative segmental values and correction factors for a segmental approach. The authors report normative myocardial T2* relationships and provide correction factors to mitigate segmental artifacts when using commercially available software that lacks a dedicated segmental T2* workflow. These reference values and correction strategy support more accurate assessment of heterogeneous myocardial iron overload in the current MRI era, improving the clinical utility of segmental T2* CMR.
Lupi A, Gambato S, Checchetto A et al. · Tomography (Ann Arbor, Mich.) · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
The relationship between myocardial and hepatic T1 relaxometry on cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging and clinical outcomes late after tetralogy of Fallot repair.
This prospective study in adults after tetralogy of Fallot repair (rTOF) assessed whether myocardial and hepatic native T1 relaxometry and derived extracellular volume fraction (ECV) on CMR relate to and predict late clinical outcomes, compared with healthy controls. The key finding was that myocardial and hepatic parametric imaging measures (native T1 and ECV) show clinically meaningful associations with residual hemodynamic load and have prognostic value late after rTOF. Linking myocardial diffuse fibrosis markers with hepatic T1/ECV may improve long-term risk prediction in repaired congenital heart disease.
Ishikita A, Marques L, Thomas S et al. · Journal of cardiovascular magnetic resonance : official journal of the Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Dynamic right ventricular and atrial volume responses to exercise in endurance-trained and untrained healthy individuals.
This study investigated right ventricular (RV), left atrial (LA), and right atrial (RA) volume responses to exercise in endurance-trained (ET) versus untrained (UT) healthy individuals using exercise real-time cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) with respiratory control. The key finding was that RV and atrial volume dynamics during exercise differ between ET and UT groups when respiratory influences are standardized, indicating training-related changes in four-chamber cardiac mechanics. Scientifically, it supports exercise CMR as a method to quantify right-sided and atrial functional adaptation to endurance training beyond left-ventricular effects.
Östenson B, Ostenfeld E, Edlund J et al. · PloS one · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Cardiac MRI for acute coronary syndromes and MINOCA mechanism workup
Diagnostic evaluation of myocardial infarction with non-obstructive coronary arteries in a young patient: suspected coronary embolism from a calcified bicuspid aortic valve.
This BMJ case report described a young patient with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction and myocardial infarction with non-obstructive coronary arteries (MINOCA), where suspected coronary embolism was attributed to a calcified bicuspid aortic valve. Coronary angiography showed no significant coronary obstruction, while transthoracic echocardiography and cardiac MRI demonstrated regional wall-motion abnormalities consistent with nearly transmural injury. The case highlights the clinical value of multimodality imaging—especially cardiac MRI—for diagnosing embolic MINOCA etiologies in young patients with atypical presentations.
Ruksuthee C, Theerasuwipakorn N, Boonyaratavej S et al. · BMJ case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Diagnostic of Pathological Q Waves in a Young Patient Without Coronary Disease.
This JACC Case Reports article presented an 18-year-old asymptomatic man with pathological septal Q waves on ECG but no known coronary disease, emphasizing multimodality imaging for differential diagnosis and risk stratification. Cardiac MRI was highlighted as central for tissue characterization to determine the underlying cause of the atypical ECG finding. The report underscores the clinical importance of advanced imaging—particularly CMR—in young patients with pathological Q waves when coronary disease is not evident.
Figueroa-Galván FS, Alanís-Naranjo JM, González-Najera MF et al. · JACC. Case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Layer-specific fast strain-encoded cardiovascular magnetic resonance in suspected acute coronary syndrome: a prospective study.
This prospective single-centre observational study evaluated fast Strain-ENCoded cardiovascular magnetic resonance (fSENC) with layer-specific strain in patients presenting with chest pain and low-to-intermediate pretest probability for major adverse cardiac events (MACE) as part of suspected acute coronary syndrome (ACS). The key finding is that rapid, layer-specific strain analysis on CMR can help distinguish ischemic causes of myocardial injury among patients where high-sensitivity troponin detects injury but not necessarily coronary plaque rupture requiring invasive therapy. Clinically, it positions fast, layer-resolved CMR tissue/functional characterization as a potential non-invasive triage tool to better identify ischemic mechanisms in suspected ACS.
Weberling LD, Siry D, Haney AC et al. · Clinical research in cardiology : official journal of the German Cardiac Society · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Cardiac MRI for inflammatory heart disease (myocarditis, sarcoidosis, endocarditis, pericarditis)
Multimodality Imaging in Inflammatory Cardiac Disease.
This review summarizes how multimodality imaging is used to diagnose and manage inflammatory cardiac diseases—myocarditis, cardiac sarcoidosis, infective endocarditis, and pericarditis. It finds that echocardiography (transthoracic and transesophageal) is first-line for conditions like infective endocarditis and pericardial effusion, while cardiac MRI is the gold standard for myocarditis and cardiac sarcoidosis tissue characterization and CT and FDG-PET/CT add complementary anatomic and inflammatory activity information. The significance is improved diagnostic accuracy and treatment planning by matching the imaging modality to the specific inflammatory cardiac pathology.
Mahmood A, Ramesh J, Patel DS et al. · Cardiology in review · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Nuclear imaging (FDG PET/CT) for cardiac inflammation and oncology PET prognostication
18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography and rest myocardial perfusion imaging in non-granulomatous myocarditis.
In a multicenter prospective observational feasibility study, investigators assessed the diagnostic performance of combined 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET/CT plus rest myocardial perfusion imaging (rMPI) in patients with suspected non-granulomatous myocarditis, using endomyocardial biopsy (EMB) when available or adjudicated clinical diagnosis otherwise. The study found that adding FDG-PET/CT information to rest perfusion imaging improved diagnostic discrimination for myocarditis compared with reference standards. Clinically, this supports a combined PET/CT + rMPI approach as a practical noninvasive diagnostic strategy for non-granulomatous myocarditis when biopsy is not feasible.
Lucinian YA, Martineau P, Harel F et al. · European journal of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Cardiac amyloidosis imaging biomarkers (CMR mapping/strain; differential diagnosis)
The Diagnostic and Prognostic Value of Multi-Chamber Strain Analysis by Cardiac MRI in Amyloidosis.
This retrospective study evaluated multi-chamber myocardial strain measured by cardiac MRI in 47 patients with cardiac amyloidosis, and correlated strain with native T1 mapping and late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) using QALE values. Multi-chamber strain parameters showed diagnostic and prognostic associations with amyloid burden and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), with reported correlations between strain and both LGE and mapping metrics. These findings support strain-based CMR as a noninvasive, multi-chamber biomarker to improve risk stratification and diagnostic characterization of cardiac amyloidosis alongside T1 mapping and LGE.
Chilkuri SK, Dsouza R, Houbois C et al. · Journal of thoracic imaging · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Cardiac transplant rejection surveillance with quantitative MRI
Multiparametric cardiac MRI in the diagnosis of transplant rejection in patients after orthotopic heart transplantation.
In a prospective single-center study, 17 adult orthotopic heart transplantation recipients underwent serial multiparametric cardiac MRI with T1- and T2-mapping within 1 month after transplantation, compared with 10 controls without structural heart disease. Quantitative T1/T2 mapping metrics changed in association with acute cellular rejection (ACR), supporting their use as noninvasive rejection-monitoring biomarkers to reduce reliance on repeated endomyocardial biopsies. This is significant because it advances MRI-based, quantitative surveillance for transplant rejection using tissue characterization rather than invasive sampling.
Sokolska JM, Sokolski M, Nożyński J et al. · European radiology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Cardiac imaging for intracardiac masses and malignancy vs thrombus
New-Onset Atrial Flutter Revealing a Large Right Coronary Artery to Superior Vena Cava Fistula.
This JACC Case Reports report studied a 63-year-old man with new-onset atrial flutter and hemodynamic instability caused by a large right coronary artery to superior vena cava (SVC) fistula. Multimodality imaging using coronary computed tomography angiography and cardiac magnetic resonance, confirmed by cardiac catheterization, demonstrated the fistula with right-sided chamber dilation, and transcatheter coil embolization was performed successfully. The case emphasizes that coronary-SVC fistulas can present with arrhythmias and that CT/C-MR plus catheter confirmation can guide definitive transcatheter treatment.
Acharya S, Patel V, Shahane S et al. · JACC. Case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Giant Cardiac Glomangioma With Extensive Intravascular Extension: A Surgical and Pathological Rarity.
This case report studied a patient with a giant cardiac glomangioma exhibiting extensive intravascular extension from the right ventricular free wall into the right atrium and inferior vena cava, reaching the left common iliac vein. The tumor was treated with surgical excision with an excellent clinical outcome, and pathology confirmed the rarity of this glomangioma subtype and its unusual spread pattern. The report underscores the need for multimodality imaging and surgical planning in rare cardiac glomus-body tumors with extensive vascular extension.
Bhutta M, Tariq K, Iqtadar R et al. · JACC. Case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Discordant Cardiomyopathy Phenotypes in Siblings With Homozygous FKRP c.1100T>C.
This JACC Case Reports report described two South African Afrikaner siblings with homozygous FKRP c.1100T>C (p.Ile367Thr) who had discordant cardiomyopathy phenotypes. The brother developed progressive cardiomyopathy with myocardial fibrosis on late gadolinium enhancement involving 12–14 of 17 AHA segments over 7 years despite partial reverse remodeling, illustrating marked intrafamilial variability. The case highlights that even with the same FKRP genotype, cardiac involvement can be heterogeneous, informing counseling and motivating genotype–phenotype studies in non-European founder variants.
Mahon N, Coad S, Kiamanesh O · JACC. Case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Diagnostic Accuracy of an Integrated Multimodality Imaging Approach in Patients With Cardiac Masses.
This prospective diagnostic accuracy study evaluated an integrated multimodality imaging approach using echocardiography, CMR, cardiac CT (CCT), and 18F-FDG PET, with multiparametric scores individually and in combination, to identify malignant cardiac masses using histology as the reference standard. The key result was that combining information across modalities improves diagnostic discrimination for malignant cardiac masses compared with single-modality scoring. This integrated framework supports more reliable preoperative characterization of cardiac masses and can guide clinical decision-making.
Angeli F, Armillotta M, Foà A et al. · JACC. Cardiovascular imaging · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
AI/ML for cardiac imaging quantification, segmentation, and multimodal prediction
FA-SedLoRA: scene-driven fine-tuning and style disentanglement for domain-generalized cardiac MRI segmentation.
This paper proposed FA-SedLoRA, a scene-driven fine-tuning and style disentanglement method for domain-generalized cardiac MRI segmentation, targeting generalization across centers, imaging protocols, and scanner vendors. The method addresses CMR-specific domain gaps from vision foundation models by disentangling style and using fine-tuning via LoRA to improve segmentation robustness under distribution shifts. This is significant for developing clinically deployable, vendor- and protocol-agnostic CMR segmentation tools that reduce the need for site-specific retraining.
Wang C, Peng P, Wang X · Medical & biological engineering & computing · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Prediction of Left Ventricular Systolic Dysfunction from ICU Electrocardiograms Using Vision Transformer Embeddings and Multimodal Features.
This retrospective ICU cohort study (≈900 admissions) evaluated whether Vision Transformer (ViT) deep embeddings pretrained on CMR data combined with quantitative 12-lead ECG features can predict reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF ≤40%) without echocardiography/CMR. The integrated multimodal model (tested with Random Forest, XGBoost, and a focal-loss shallow MLP) achieved predictive performance for identifying systolic dysfunction directly from ICU ECGs. If validated, this could enable earlier risk stratification and management decisions for patients with suspected LV systolic dysfunction in the ICU.
Lenkowicz J, di Giorgi N · Studies in health technology and informatics · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
AI/ML for oncology PET prognostication
Beyond target lesions: Prognostic value of longitudinal AI-derived whole-body [1⁸F]FDG PET/CT metrics in metastatic melanoma.
This study investigated prognostic value of longitudinal, AI-derived whole-body 18F-FDG PET/CT metrics—total metabolic tumor volume (TMTV) and total lesion glycolysis (TLG)—in 43 patients with unresectable metastatic melanoma treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). Using an AI-based semi-automated tool for serial PET quantification at baseline, after two cycles, and after four cycles, the authors found that longitudinal whole-body metabolic burden metrics beyond target-lesion measures were associated with patient outcomes and provided prognostic information alongside established metabolic response criteria. Clinically, this supports using AI-derived global PET metrics to better predict prognosis during ICI therapy rather than relying only on target lesions.
Sachpekidis C, Vagenas TP, Müller M et al. · European journal of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Therapeutics and mechanistic cardiovascular studies (electrophysiology, GLP-1, SGLT2i, etc.)
SGLT2 inhibitors are associated with reductions in epicardial adipose tissue volume and thickness: a meta-analysis.
This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated whether sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) reduce epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) volume and thickness using serial measurements from computed tomography or echocardiography across studies published from 2000–2025. Across included trials, SGLT2i treatment was associated with reductions in EAT volume and thickness compared with baseline and/or conventional therapy. These results suggest that SGLT2i may confer cardiometabolic benefit partly by modulating epicardial fat, linking a measurable imaging phenotype to drug cardioprotection.
Khanna S, Kalman E, Thungathurthi K et al. · International journal of obesity (2005) · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Targeting Arrhythmogenic Late Sodium Current by FHF1A-Derivative FixR in Heart Failure Cardiomyocytes.
This translational study examined late sodium current (INa,L) regulation in human heart failure cardiomyocytes and animal models of HFrEF and HFpEF, focusing on FHF1A and an FHF inhibiting x region (FixR) derivative as a therapeutic strategy. Reverse-transcriptase qPCR showed altered cardiac sodium channel and FHF splice isoforms in arrhythmogenic HF, and FixR reduced INa,L and associated proarrhythmic electrophysiologic effects in the tested models. Scientifically and clinically, targeting the FHF1A/FHF pathway with FixR represents a potential mechanism-based antiarrhythmic approach for heart failure–related arrhythmogenesis driven by enhanced INa,L.
Hegyi B, Angsutararux P, Chakouri N et al. · Circulation research · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Cardiovascular public health, research operations, and non-cardiac biomedical engineering
Synergistic enhancement mechanism of biochar from Chinese medicine residue for tetracycline hydrochloride removal.
This environmental engineering study converted Chinese medicine residue into biochar using hydrothermal treatment and KOH pretreatment followed by high-temperature pyrolysis, then tested adsorption of tetracycline hydrochloride (T-HCl). The combined hydrothermal + KOH biochar (KHRB) produced a highly porous adsorbent with markedly increased surface area and demonstrated improved tetracycline hydrochloride removal performance. Scientifically, it provides a synergistic, resource-recovery route to create high-performance adsorbents from waste biomass for antibiotic-contaminant remediation.
Xu E, Song X, Liu Y et al. · Journal of environmental management · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Generated automatically on May 27, 2026. Covers PubMed articles published May 20, 2026 – May 27, 2026. Summaries are AI-generated; always consult the original publication for clinical or research decisions.