In Vivo Ultrasound Imaging System (VEVO 2100, VisualSonics)

描述(由申请人提供)：这项提案的目标是为小动物模型(VEVO 2100，视觉超音速，加拿大多伦多)获得体内超声成像系统的资金。这是一种高分辨率体内超声显微成像系统，专门为小动物模型的综合解剖学和生理学的非侵入性实时研究而设计。该系统提供从100？m到30？m的空间分辨率，深度分别从36 mm到12 mm，这是目前可用的最高分辨率。此外，实时成像系统允许在超声引导下注射，将生物试剂(微粒、基因、siRNA、microRNA和干细胞)输送到小动物模型的不同器官。加州大学戴维斯分校目前不提供这项技术。拟议的系统将为NIH资助的一大批调查人员提供服务。我们研究团队的一个独特之处是其教职员工的多样性。我们的团队成员正处于其职业生涯的不同阶段，他们来自五所不同的学校/学院(医学院、兽医学院、工程学院、农业与环境科学学院和生物科学学院)的多个系的成员。这组研究人员参与了几个多学科的合作项目，包括心血管、血管、 肺、肾和中枢神经系统研究。小动物模型的使用，包括基因靶向模型，为近年来医学的重大进步铺平了道路。事实上，这些小动物模型对于各种疾病的临床前研究至关重要，包括心血管和血管疾病、肺部疾病、癌症和神经疾病。能够以高分辨率直接量化从胚胎到成年的解剖和生理信息，以及使用超声引导的生物试剂输送，将极大地促进我们对这些模型的了解和翻译，以治疗人类疾病。这项提议将使非侵入性体内高分辨率疾病模型评估的应用成为可能，这将促进进一步的合作转化研究项目。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The goal of this proposal is to secure funding for an in vivo ultrasound imaging system for small animal models (VEVO 2100, Visual Sonics, Toronto, Canada). This is a high-resolution in vivo ultrasound micro- imaging system designed specifically for non-invasive real-time studies of integrated anatomy and physiology in small animal models. The system offers spatial resolutions from 100 ¿m to 30 ¿m with depths from 36 mm down to 12 mm respectively, which represents the highest resolution available today. Moreover, the real-time imaging system allows for ultrasound-guided injections for delivery of biological reagents (micro particles, genes, siRNA, microRNA, and stem cells) to different organs in small animal models. This technology is not currently available at UC Davis. The proposed system will serve a large group of NIH-funded investigators. A unique feature of our research team is the diversity of its faculty. Our team members are at various stages of their careers and are members of multiple departments from five different schools/colleges (School of Medicine, School of Veterinary Medicine, School of Engineering, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, and College of Biological Sciences). This group of investigators is involved in several multidisciplinary collaborative projects that include cardiovascular, vascular, pulmonary, renal, and central nervous systems research. The uses of small animal models, including genetically targeted models, have paved the way for major advances in Medicine during recent years. Indeed, these small animal models are critical for the preclinical studies of diverse classes of diseases including cardiovascular and vascular diseases, pulmonary diseases, cancers, and neurological diseases. The ability to directly quantify the anatomical and physiologic information at a high resolution from embryos to adulthood as well as the use of ultrasound-guided delivery of biological reagents will greatly advance our knowledge and translation of these models to the treatment of human diseases. This proposal will enable the application of non-invasive in vivo high-resolution assessment of disease models that will foster further collaborative translational research projects.