Preclinical Radiomics: A novel approach linking imaging with biological outcomes in mouse models

成像是动物研究中必不可少的工具，它使研究人员能够观察小鼠体内，评估不同组织的大小、形状和位置。成像可用于监测不同疾病的进展情况，并显示不同组织（如肿瘤）对实验性治疗的反应。在人类中，正在开发新技术来分析常规收集的计算机断层扫描（CT）扫描。然后，计算机对这些图像进行分析，提取出数百个特征，称为“放射组学特征”，这些特征有可能揭示肉眼无法检测到的不同疾病特征。这项技术可以补充传统的诊断方法，并可能帮助临床医生做出更明智的个性化治疗选择，并可能取代传统的侵入性活检。在这个项目中，我们将在小鼠组织中开发类似的放射组学方法。我们将采用现有的方法来分析不同小鼠组织和肿瘤的CT扫描结果，并为这一过程建立一个标准程序。利用这种方法，我们将确定不同小鼠组织的成像特征与特定生物学特性之间的关系，从而开发一种监测疾病进展和对治疗反应的新方法。这种方法将从CT扫描中获得关于组织特征的额外数据，减少对大量动物和侵入性手术的需求。

Imaging is an essential tool in animal studies that allows investigators to look inside the bodies of mice to assess the size, shape and location of different tissues. Imaging can be used to monitor how different disease progress and to show how different tissues such as tumours respond to experimental treatments. In humans, new techniques are being developed to analyse routinely collected computed tomography (CT) scans. These images are then analysed by a computer to extract hundreds of features, termed 'radiomics features', which have the potential to uncover different disease characteristics that cannot be detected by the naked eye. This technique can complement traditional diagnosis methods and may help clinicians to make more informed personalised treatment choices and could replace the need for traditional invasive biopsies. In this project, we will develop a similar approach for radiomics in mouse tissues. We will adapt existing methods used in the patients, to analyse CT scans from different mouse tissues and tumours, and setup a standard procedure for this process. Using this method, we will determine the relationship between the imaging features of different mouse tissues with the particular biological characteristics to develop a new way to monitor disease progression and response to treatment. This approach will deliver extra data from CT scans on the features of tissues, reducing the need for large animal numbers and invasive procedures.