Quantitave Analysis and Mapping of Metals in Tissues

描述（由申请人提供）：在生物系统中，生物必需金属在其基本功能和逃逸其正常控制机制时造成的破坏性破坏之间起着微妙的作用。对于所谓的氧化还原金属（铁、铜、锰和锌）来说尤其如此，它们是中枢神经系统和心血管系统发育和运作所必需的，但在阿尔茨海默病（AD）、帕金森病（PD）、亨廷顿病（HD）、弗里德里奇共济失调等疾病中也起着核心作用。此外，神经毒性金属，如铅、汞、砷和镉，即使是微量水平也会损害神经功能。目前监测金属的浓度、分布和功能的方法具有专门的优点，但没有一种方法允许对广泛的金属和感兴趣的浓度的浓度和分布进行定量测量。新的和高效的x射线光学现在使单色微x射线荧光（MMXRF）工具能够测量组织样品中的几乎所有金属，具有高灵敏度，动态范围和空间分辨率。此外，这可以通过安全，紧凑，可靠，低功耗，成本效益，易于使用的分析仪来实现，该分析仪可以在医学研究实验室中直接对组织样本进行操作，然后将其干燥，染色或处理用于其他补充研究。这个项目的目的是开发和应用这样一个使用点分析仪。阿尔茨海默氏症、帕金森氏症、亨廷顿氏症、弗里德赖希共济失调症以及其他神经和心血管疾病都与大脑和心脏组织中必需金属和有毒金属的过量或缺乏有关。利用x射线光学系统开发的新型x射线光学技术，现在可以在实验室对组织中金属团簇的浓度和分布进行高灵敏度的定量测量。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Bioessential metals operate at a delicate interface in biological systems between their essential functions and the destructive havoc they cause when they escape their normal control mechanisms. This is especially true for the so-called redox metals (Iron, Copper, Manganese, and Zinc) which are required for development and operation of the central nervous system and cardiovascular system but also play a central role in disorders such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), Huntington's disease (HD), Friedreich's ataxia, and others. In addition, neurotoxic metals such as Lead, Mercury, Arsenic, and Cadmium have been shown to impair neural function even at trace levels. Current methods to monitor the concentration, distribution, and function of metals have specialized benefits but none allow quantitative measurement of the concentration and distribution of the broad range of metals and concentrations of interest. New and efficient x-ray optics now enable monochromatic micro x-ray fluorescence (MMXRF) tools for measurement of virtually all metals in tissue samples with high sensitivity, dynamic range and spatial resolution. Furthermore, this can be achieved with a safe, compact, reliable, low power, cost effective, easy-to- use analyzer that can operate in medical research laboratories directly on tissue samples before they are dried, stained or treated for other complementary studies. The aim of this project is to develop and apply such a point-of-use analyzer. Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Huntington's, Friedreich's ataxia and other neurological and cardiovascular disorders have been associated with an excess or deficiency of both essential metals and toxic metals in brain and heart tissue. Laboratory based high-sensitivity, quantitative measurement of the concentration and distribution of metal clusters in tissue is now possible by use of new x-ray optics developed by X-ray Optical Systems.