IVIS Spectrum CT Imaging System in BSL-3 Containment

描述（由申请人提供）：该共享仪器资助（PAR-12-017）申请资金购买IVIS Spectrum CT体内成像系统，用于通过与小动物计算机断层扫描（CT）共同配准的生物发光和荧光二维或三维成像，对活体动物的疾病进展、细胞运输和基因表达模式进行无创纵向监测。重要的是，该仪器将被安置在匹兹堡大学区域生物防护实验室（RBL）内的临床前成像核心内，提供三个主要好处：1）安置在27，000平方英尺的设施内，专门建造，以提供在生物安全等级（BSL）-3和动物生物安全等级（ABSL）-3下运行的实验室套件和核心设施; 3）在生物防护笼中圈养从小鼠到非人灵长类动物（NHP）的各种动物物种; 4）与疫苗研究中心（CVR）的联系，其资金充足的教师具有与这些高致病性生物体的研究相关的研究兴趣和专业知识，并利用RBL BSL-3/ABSL-3遏制设施; 5）一支训练有素的管理团队和支持人员，致力于促进与其他机构的合作。的IVIS Spectrum CT系统将与CVR/RBL临床前成像核心中现有的微型PET/CT成像功能共同注册使用，由已建立的管理团队监督，并由经过培训的人员操作，以最大限度地获取和使用高优先级病原体研究。对BSL-3/ABSL-3病原体研究的兴趣增加，与用于表达来自高致病性生物体的生物发光/荧光报告基因以及用于监测疾病/免疫反应参数的技术的日益可用性相结合，突出了我们需要提高遏制中的成像能力。CVR/RBL实验室的当前和预期用途包括在小鼠、大鼠、兔、雪貂和小型NHP中进行的发病机制和激发研究，每种研究均可在IVIS Spectrum CT系统中进行成像。增加IVIS Spectrum CT将：1）满足现有的研究需求; 2）吸引更多希望将活体动物成像纳入其研究的区域甚至国家研究人员; 3）为RBL应急响应网络提供重要能力。在该区域的BSL-3/ABSL-3安全壳内，既没有生物发光/荧光体内成像，也没有微型CT。此外，在全国范围内，只有少数这类仪器被安置在具有BSL-3/ABSL-3防护和特定制剂安全的设施中。匹兹堡大学RBL提供的病原体和动物模型的多样性以及将IVIS Spectrum CT与现有微型PET/CT成像功能相结合的计划提供了真正独特的资源。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This Shared Instrumentation Grant (PAR-12-017) requests funds to purchase an IVIS Spectrum CT in vivo imaging system for non-invasive, longitudinal monitoring of disease progression, cell trafficking and gene expression patterns in living animals through bioluminescent and fluorescent two- or three- dimensional imaging co-registered with small animal computed tomography (CT). Importantly the instrument will be housed within the Pre-Clinical Imaging Core inside the Regional Bio containment Laboratory (RBL) at the University of Pittsburgh offering three major benefits: 1) housing within a 27,000 square foot facility, purpose-built to provide laboratory suites and core facilities operating unde Biosafety Level (BSL)-3 and Animal Biosafety Level (ABSL)-3; 2) registration to handle numerous Select Agent viral and bacterial pathogens and toxins; 3) housing for a wide range of animal species in bio containment caging, from mice to non-human primates (NHPs); 4) association with the Center for Vaccine Research (CVR), whose well-funded faculty have research interests and expertise related to the study of these highly pathogenic organisms and utilize the RBL BSL-3/ABSL-3 containment facilities; 5) a highly trained management team and support staff dedicated to the facility who foster collaborations with other institutions. The IVIS Spectrum CT system will be coregistered for use with existing micro PET/CT imaging capabilities in the CVR/RBL Pre-Clinical Imaging Core, overseen by an established management team and operated by trained personnel to maximize access and use for high-priority pathogen research. The combination of increased interest in research on BSL-3/ABSL-3 pathogens with the increasing availability of technologies for expression of bioluminescent/fluorescent reporters from highly pathogenic organisms as well as for monitoring of disease/immune response parameters highlights our need to improve imaging capabilities in containment. Current and anticipated use of the CVR/RBL laboratories includes pathogenesis and challenge studies in mice, rats, rabbits, ferrets and small NHPs, each of which are amenable to imaging in the IVIS Spectrum CT system. Addition of an IVIS Spectrum CT will: 1) satisfy existing research needs; 2) attract additional researchers regionally or even nationally who wish to integrate live animal imaging into their research; and 3) provide an important capability to the RBL emergency response network. Neither bioluminescence/fluorescence in vivo imaging nor micro CT is available within BSL-3/ABSL-3 containment in this region. Moreover, nationally there are only a few such instruments housed in facilities with BSL-3/ABSL-3 containment and Select Agent security. The diversity of pathogens and animal models available in the University of Pittsburgh RBL and the plan to integrate this IVIS Spectrum CT with existing micro PET/CT imaging capabilities provides a truly unique resource.