MRI CORE

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This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. At OMRF and OUHSC we utilize high-resolution MR techniques (including microscopic imaging and spectroscopy) for biomedical research. The use of rodent experimental animal models has dramatically advanced our ability to analyze and understand the molecular basis of various diseases, however few methods exist to be able to visualize the various tissues, organs and vascular systems of rodents in vivo and non-invasively at any meaningful resolution. The following instrument, a Bruker Biospin Biospec 70/30 USR horizontal magnetic small animal imaging spectrometer, is capable of obtaining in vivo microimages (at ~100 ¿m resolution or better for microscopic MRI) in rodent experimental animal models, and in addition provide in vivo functional information on molecular targets (contrast-enhanced MRI) as well as structural information on metabolites, such as lipids/phospholipids, bioenergetic compounds, creatine, choline, and lactate (using magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS)). Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and its related techniques in biomedical research, such as MR angiography (MRA), MR spectroscopy (MRS), have developed over the past few years with significant advances in high-field magnets, high-strength magnetic field gradients, imaging probe designs and tissue-specific contrast agents, which have allowed selective morphological, functional and metabolic investigations in mice and rats to be possible. Another recent advancement in MR technology has been the development of MR microscopy. Images can be obtained with in-plane resolutions better than 100 micron, and in-vivo spectra can be collected with sensitivity and spectral resolution previously obtained only by narrow-bore liquid NMR spectrometers. Morphological MRI and/or microscopic MRI (~100 ¿m resolution) is currently used in our facility to localize and determine the extent of brain cancer lesions in a rat model (Towner) and breast and/or melanoma cancer lesions in rats and mice (Chen), and to monitor temperature changes in laser-induced tumor ablation with the use of phase-sensitive and chemicla-shift imaging (CSI) methods(Chen). Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), using image-guided MRS, is also used to monitor metabolic profiles for rat brain tumor pathogenesis (lipid and brain metabolite alterations; Towner), as well as assess therapeutic agents (Towner).