High Resolution Ultrasound Resource for Molecular Imaging Center

描述（由申请人提供）：医学成像仪器的最新进展已经产生了用于小型实验动物研究的小型化x射线，放射性核和磁共振扫描仪。这一点，再加上日益复杂的转基因小鼠模型，正在推动一场在全动物水平上对疾病和发育过程进行体内研究的革命。该提案要求为高分辨率超声设备提供资金，以促进和改善癌症和心脏病领域小动物的跨学科研究。高频超声是一种新兴的方式，在小动物模型中具有很大的应用潜力。通过增加换能器的频率，工程师们已经能够实现与临床超声成像相似的分辨率-受试者尺寸比率。因此，解剖和生理（例如，血液速度）的可视化和测量能力现在完全可用于小动物。此外，最近微泡技术的发展提供了一种非常有效的血管内造影增强手段，并正在扩展到分子靶向，这可能对治疗递送产生重大影响。在过去的几年里，在NIH/NCI P20计划拨款的支持下，南加州大学建立了一个分子成像中心。所要求的超声波扫描仪将被安置并在中心的分子成像实验室中运行，在那里它将补充以前从NCRR购买的其他共享使用设备，包括小动物PET、CT和光学成像系统。超声将以非电离辐射方式补充我们现有的小动物成像能力，为我们提供实时、非侵入性的解剖成像。高频超声成像将极大地促进我们使用原位肿瘤模型，允许图像引导植入深部器官和组织。在小动物研究中的其他应用将包括：连续监测肿瘤生长和肿瘤对治疗的反应；影像引导下肿瘤和移植器官的连续活检，用于离体组织病理学和分子分析；所要求的超声扫描仪将用于放射学/核医学、外科学、病理学、生物化学/分子生物学、制药科学和生物医学工程等领域的研究人员。增加所要求的仪器将提高公共卫生系统资助的在各个医学领域工作的调查人员的生产力。这些研究人员的发现和进步最终将对公共卫生产生直接的积极影响。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Recent advances in the instrumentation for medical imaging have produced miniaturized versions of x-ray, radionuclear and magnetic resonance scanners for studies in small laboratory animals. This, coupled with increasingly sophisticated transgenic mouse models, is driving a revolution in the investigation of disease and developmental processes in vivo at the whole-animal level. This proposal requests funding for a high-resolution ultrasound device to facilitate and improve interdisciplinary research in small animals in the areas of cancer and cardiac disease. High-frequency ultrasound is a newly emerging modality with great potential for use in small animal models. By increasing transducer frequencies, engineers have been able to achieve resolution-to-subject size ratios similar to those of clinical ultrasound imaging. As a result, anatomical and physiological (e.g., blood velocity) visualization and measurement capabilities are now fully available for use in small animals. Furthermore, recent development of microbubble technology has provided a very effective means of intravascular contrast enhancement and is being extended to molecular targeting, which could have a major impact on therapeutic delivery. During the last several years, a Molecular Imaging Center has been established at USC with support from an NIH/NCI P20 planning grant. The requested ultrasound scanner will be housed and operated in the Center's Molecular Imaging Laboratory, where it will complement other shared-use devices purchased with previous awards from the NCRR, including small-animal PET, CT and optical imaging systems. . Ultrasound would supplement our existing small-animal imaging capabilities with a non-ionizing radiation modality that would give us real-time, non-invasive anatomic imaging. High- frequency ultrasound imaging would greatly facilitate our use of orthotopic tumor models by allowing image-guided implantation in deep-lying organs and tissues. Other applications in small animal research will include: serial monitoring of tumor growth and tumor response to treatment; image-guided serial biopsy of tumors and implanted organs for ex vivo histopathology and molecular assay; serial assessment of tumor and organ blood supply, as well as evaluation of cardiac function, including left ventricular ejection fraction The requested ultrasound scanner will be used by investigators in the fields of radiology/nuclear medicine, surgery, pathology, biochemistry/molecular biology, pharmaceutical sciences, and biomedical engineering. Addition of the requested instrument will increase the productivity of assembled PHS-funded investigators who are working in various areas of medicine. The discoveries and advancements made by these investigators will ultimately have a direct positive impact on public health.