Cyclotron, PET and MRI Facility Improvement: A Scientific Resource for Arizona

描述（由申请人提供）：本申请申请资金用于现有空间的翻新以及小型建筑的扩建，这将使我们能够搬迁和扩展我们近20年的回旋加速器和放射化学实验室，正电子发射断层扫描（PET）成像和计算图像分析套件，以及为磁共振成像（MRI）和额外的PET系统提供未来的空间。对这一要求的迫切需求是由于当前回旋加速器和放射化学设施的显著不足，不仅在满足当前和即将到来的制造要求，而且在满足研究人员对新型PET示踪剂的需求。Banner Health是第一批购买回旋加速器的非大学医院系统之一。它的PET中心成为脑成像研究的领导者，是整个亚利桑那州研究人员的资源，也是班纳阿尔茨海默病研究所（BAI）、亚利桑那州阿尔茨海默病联盟和亚利桑那州生物科学路线图发展的主要催化剂。我们计划翻新新设施以集中这些活动，购买额外的内置放射化学设备，并将我们的总实验室空间从6,378增加到16,520总平方英尺（GSF），以支持我们快速增长的研究需求。成像设备的研究控制，如PET和拟议的MRI，使我们能够确保严格的质量控制，避免选择性的硬件改变，可能会降低统计能力或在纵向研究和长期临床试验中引入混淆，大大提高MRI研究的生产力。翻新的设施使我们能够扩大我们在BAI的研究项目，以及班纳最近收购的太阳健康研究所，并将促进最近批准的MD安德森班纳癌症中心和该州其他机构的研究发展。它将最大限度地提高放射化学、PET、MRI和科学研究人员之间的沟通，并改善我们各种研究的研究参与者调度、便利性和吞吐量。设施的改善将为班纳健康中心和亚利桑那州其他机构带来重大的新的生物医学研究投资，为全州提供重要的科学资源，并维持和创造就业机会。拟议的设计利用绿色技术改善环境质量，并通过专门的安全措施和新型放射性控制装置提高工作人员和公众的安全。作为该应用程序的一部分构建的外壳空间将允许成像中心的增长。预计在3年内需要第二台PET研究扫描仪，而对专用研究MRI扫描仪的需求迫在眉睫。它将激发PET和MRI在阿尔茨海默病、肿瘤、肥胖、糖尿病以及与年龄相关的疾病和正常衰老方面的研究，并开发新的图像采集和图像分析方法。具体来说，对于阿尔茨海默病，该设施将使我们能够保持并加强我们在应用脑成像技术进行症状前研究、检测和跟踪阿尔茨海默病以及评估疾病减缓治疗方面的领导作用。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This application requests funds for the renovation of existing space as well as for a small building addition that will allow us to relocate and expand our nearly 20 year old cyclotron and radiochemistry laboratory, Positron Emission Tomography (PET) imaging and computational image-analysis suites as well as provide future space for Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and an additional PET system. The urgent need for this request is due to the significant inadequacy of the current cyclotron and radiochemistry facility, not only in meeting current and pending manufacturing requirements, but also in meeting investigator demand for new PET tracers. Banner Health was one of the first non-university based hospital systems to purchase a cyclotron. Its PET Center became a leader in brain-imaging research, a resource to researchers throughout Arizona and a major catalyst to the development of the Banner Alzheimer's Institute (BAI), Arizona Alzheimer's Consortium, and Arizona Bioscience Roadmap. We plan to renovate the new facility to centralize these activities, purchase additional built-in radiochemistry equipment, and increase our total laboratory space from 6,378 to 16,520 gross square feet (GSF) to support our rapidly growing research needs. Research control of imaging devices, such as the PET and proposed MRI allows us to assure rigorous quality control and the avoidance of elective hardware changes that might reduce statistical power or introduce confounds in longitudinal studies and long clinical trials, greatly increasing MRI research productivity. The renovated facility permits us to expand our research programs at the BAI, as well as Banner's recently acquired Sun Health Research Institute, and will catalyze the development of research in the recently approved MD Anderson Banner Cancer Center, and other institutions in the state. It would maximize communication among radiochemistry, PET, MRI and scientific researchers and improve research participant scheduling, convenience, and throughput in our various research studies. The facility improvement will lead to significant new biomedical research investments at Banner Health and other Arizona institutions, provide a vital statewide scientific resource, as well as maintain and create jobs. The proposed design improves the quality of the environment by utilizing green technology and enhances safety for staff and the general public through specialized security measures and novel radioactive control devices. Shell space built as a part of this application will allow for growth of the imaging center. The need for a second PET research scanner is anticipated within 3 years while the need for a dedicated research MRI scanner is imminent. It would galvanize PET and MRI research in Alzheimer's disease, oncology, obesity, diabetes, as well as age-related disorders and normal aging, and the development of new image-acquisition and image-analysis methods. Specifically, to Alzheimer's disease the facility would permit us to maintain and enhance our leadership role in the application of brain-imaging techniques to pre-symptomatic study, detection, and tracking of Alzheimer's disease and the evaluation of disease-slowing treatments.