High Sensitivity In Vivo Imaging System with Integrated Micro-Computed Tomography for Animal Phenotyping Core

项目总结。 高灵敏度和微尺度分辨率的仪器对于突破性的生物医学研究是必不可少的。在……里面 活体成像技术对于测量活体动物的复杂生物过程和 随着时间的推移跟踪它们，例如癌症转移、新药的体积分布和干细胞的组织归巢 移植后的细胞。特别是光学成像技术的发展，已经变得极其敏感。 我们开发了一系列非常高效的荧光染料和纳米颗粒，以及基于荧光素酶的生物发光工具。活体内 通过开发转基因动物和工程细胞来实现光学信号的空间靶向 以诱导和有条件的方式表达荧光或生物发光记者已经能够 光学成像在各种研究领域中的应用史无前例。此共享工具 提议购买光学IVIS频谱CT系统(PerkinElmer)，该系统将在 波士顿大学医学院代谢表型和IVIS核心(动物表型核心)。这 CORE自2011年以来一直成功运行，目前为该仪器提供技术支持，以 18名由美国国立卫生研究院资助的首席调查人员。开展了各种开创性的研究项目， 多年来动物表型核心的IVIS的使用，包括新型货物的开发 纳米药物输送，癌症进展和转移的分子靶点的发现， 多能干细胞组织归巢和器官再生的优化。新的光谱CT是一种 集成微计算机层析成像的高灵敏度二维和三维光学成像平台 生物发光和荧光检测以及射线(CT)成像。这种最先进的乐器将 取代我们当前不再受PerkinElmer支持的IVIS，同时为 对多达10只活动物的生物过程进行纵向监测和量化。这款新一代的IVIS 提供与低剂量CT相结合的快速多成像模式，实现联合配准和光谱分解 用于高级2D分析和3D重建。除了正在进行的项目外，新的IVIS频谱CT将 被NIH资助的其他用户用来推进他们对骨骼发育、肥胖的影响的研究 关于乳腺癌、新型抗生素疗法和其他开创性研究项目。重要的是， 这种体内仪器的可获得性将补充体外成像和定量方式，例如 共焦显微镜和流式细胞仪，目前可在整个波士顿大学的核心设施中使用 社区，扩展对研究调查人员的成功至关重要的高端仪器工具包。

PROJECT SUMMARY. High-sensitivity and microscale resolution instruments are essential for groundbreaking biomedical research. In vivo imaging technologies are particularly valuable to measure complex biological processes in live animals and track them over time, such as cancer metastasis, volume distribution of novel drugs and tissue homing of stem cells after transplantation. Optical imaging, in particular, has become extremely sensitive with the development of very efficient fluorescent dyes and nanoparticles as well as luciferase-based bioluminescence tools. In vivo spatial targeting of optical signals through the development of transgenic animals and cells that are engineered to express fluorescent or bioluminescent reporters, in both inducible and conditional manners, have enabled unprecedented in vivo applications of optical imaging in a variety of research fields. This shared instrumentation proposal is to purchase the optical IVIS SpectrumCT system (PerkinElmer), which will operate within the Metabolic Phenotypic and IVIS Core (Animal Phenotyping Core) in the Boston University Medical Campus. This Core has been successfully operational since 2011 and currently offers technical support for this instrument to 18 NIH-funded principal investigators. A variety of groundbreaking research projects has been conducted with the use of the Animal Phenotyping Core’s IVIS over the years, including the development of novel cargo nanoparticles for drug delivery, the discovery of molecular targets of cancer progression and metastasis, the optimization of tissue homing and organ regeneration with pluripotent stem cells. The new SpectrumCT is a high-sensitivity optical imaging platform with integrated micro-computed tomography for 2D and 3D bioluminescence and fluorescence detection and radiographic (CT) imaging. This state-of-the-art instrument will replace our current IVIS, which is no longer supported by PerkinElmer, while providing enhanced capabilities for monitoring and quantifying biological processes longitudinally in up to 10 live animals. This new generation IVIS provides fast multi-imaging modality combined with low dose CT, enabling co-registration and spectral unmixing for advanced 2D analysis and 3D reconstructions. In addition to ongoing projects, the new IVIS SpectrumCT will be used by additional NIH-funded users to advance their research on bone development, the effect of obesity on breast cancer, novel antibiotic therapeutics and other groundbreaking research projects. Importantly, the availability of this in vivo instrumentation will complement ex vivo imaging and quantitative modalities, such as confocal microscopy and FACS, currently available in the core facilities across the entire Boston University community, expanding the high-end instrumentation toolset crucial for the success of research investigators.