A High-Field (7T) MRI System for Translational Imaging Research

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The objective of this proposal is to seek funding for the purchase of a small-bore, 7T MRI scanner to be installed at the UT Health Science Center at San Antonio (UTHSCSA). Commissioning of this instrument will help resolve a cross-institutional demand for a high-resolution animal MRI. It will serve the regional biomedical academic communities located at the UTHSCSA, the Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research (SFBR), the Audie Murphy Memorial Veterans Hosp. and the UT San Antonio. An advanced Bruker ClinScan MR system has just emerged on the market and represents a much needed leading-edge technology employing a high-performance pulsed magnetic gradient field and 32-channel parallel RF systems. Driven by a Siemens Syngo consol with IDEAMRI pulse sequencing, this instrument will now enable users to perform such demanding studies as dynamic rodent fMRI and cardiac imaging. Scanning modalities yielding superior spatial and temporal resolution not previously achievable with our existing 2T and 3T human MRI's include anatomical MR microscopy (~100um resolution), BOLD (oxygen utilization), MR spectroscopy, contrast-perfusion MRI (blood flow) and diffusion tensor imaging (white matter connectivity). While this proposal will initially serve the more well-established NIH investigator, these powerful features will undoubtedly attract other investigators to acquire pilot data to fuel new NIH grant submissions. Because this MRI can accommodate a wide variety of animal sizes and species from transgenic mice to non-human primates, as well as necropsied human tissue, we expect to generate interest spanning multiple disciplines such as oncology, aging, neurological and psychiatric disorders. We anticipate that this new tool will act as a catalyst in spawning innovative strategies to solve complex hypotheses. The RIC is a department-level unit within the UTHSCSA School of Medicine whose charter is to develop non-invasive imaging for basic preclinical and clinical investigation. It has outstanding facilities dedicated exclusively for research. This includes a recent expansion of its animal imaging core, contiguous with a large animal housing satellite, and has already been site-prepped to accommodate the future installation of a new MRI which would allow it to be brought online relatively quickly. Also conveniently nearby are the Southwest National Primate Research Center (SNPRC) and the SFBR that provide non-human primates and other exotic species for imaging at the RIC. Put to use, this new MRI will drive high-caliber translatable research directed at improving our understanding and treatment of human diseases, provide an important training environment and, since its use involves survivable testing, at lesser sacrifice of animal subjects.