High-End Instrumentation Grant Program

描述(申请人提供)：小动物的活体成像是任何翻译研究中心的基础。近年来，微成像设备在制药或学术机构使用的数量以及灵敏度、分辨率和其他技术突破的改进方面都取得了巨大的飞跃。MicroMRI可能是这些方法中最通用的，能够获得优越的软组织对比度、功能和分辨率。我们建议获得一台Bruker 7T ClinScan核磁共振扫描仪，能够获得小鼠、其他实验室啮齿动物、兔子和小型灵长类动物的活体高分辨率图像。该仪器的目的是使我们研究所的研究人员能够研究野生型或转基因动物的形态，研究临床前药物开发或其他治疗策略，检测疾病的生物标志物，并开发基于MRI的新造影剂来研究各种疾病机制。我们研究所目前已经安装了一台布鲁克9.4T。这是一种小口径磁铁，只允许对老鼠进行成像。此外，这款扫描仪已经被大量项目超负荷使用。我们研究所已经收到了几笔需要微型核磁共振成像的新赠款，这使得我们提高能力变得至关重要。7T ClinScan将使目前正在进行MicroMRI研究的几个PI以及使用新动物模型的新PI受益。7T ClinScan在几个方面补充了我们目前的9.4T：7T的口径要大得多，可以对老鼠和小型灵长类动物进行成像。它还将允许对整个人类大脑样本进行成像。我们研究所有一个大的脑库，7T将允许对这些标本进行非破坏性记录。几个联邦资助的赠款将受益于这种新的扫描仪，因为它的扩展能力。我们目前的9.4T具有30 mm内径的RF线圈，只能对小鼠进行成像，目前正在为几个R01、P01和P50项目以及一些试验性扫描提供服务。它目前已经全天候运行。7T ClinScan可以容纳内径为15.4厘米的射频线圈，从而可以对小型灵长类动物以及整个大脑标本进行成像。我们还预计，在不久的将来，7T场强将成为临床实践的标准，因此，重要的是在这个水平上研究疾病过程的机制问题，以便进行翻译。图1显示了当前安装的7T系统。我们机构的研究项目包括使用转基因小鼠模型和扩散张量成像技术破坏精神分裂症的白质，对阿尔茨海默病小鼠模型进行高分辨率形态计量学研究，开发用于某些大脑受体和其他生物标志物体内成像的MRI造影剂，以及动脉粥样硬化斑块成像。 与公众健康相关：MicroMRI是可视化软组织结构和生物过程的卓越成像方式。微型核磁共振扫描仪将使研究人员能够以比人类扫描仪更高的分辨率和特异性有效地测试疾病的动物模型和治疗策略。在诊断方面，结果可以方便地翻译给人类核磁共振扫描仪，在治疗方法方面也可以方便地翻译给人类。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): In vivo imaging of small animals form the foundation for any translational research center. In recent years, microimaging devices have taken a quantum leap in terms of both their number in use at pharmaceutical or academic institutes and improvement in their sensitivity, resolution and other technical breakthroughs. MicroMRI may be the most versatile of these modalities with the ability to obtain superior soft tissue contrast, function and resolution. We propose to acquire a Bruker 7 T ClinScan MRI scanner, capable of obtaining in vivo high-resolution images of mice, other laboratory rodents, rabbits, and small primates. The purpose of this instrument is to allow researchers at our institute to study morphology of wild-type or genetically modified animals, study preclinical drug development or other treatment strategies, detect biomarkers of disease and to develop new MRI based contrast agents to various study disease mechanisms. Our research institute currently has one Bruker 9.4 T installed. This is a small bore magnet which only allow imaging of mice. In addition, this scanner is already used beyond its capacity by a large number of projects. Our institute has received several new grants that require microMRI which makes it critical that we enhance our capacity. The 7 T ClinScan will benefit several current PIs who are conducting microMRI studies as well new PIs with new animal models. The 7 T ClinScan complements our current 9.4 T in several ways: the 7 T has a much larger bore size which allows imaging of rats and small primates. It would also allow whole human brain specimen to be imaged. Our institute has a large brain bank and the 7 T would allow non-destructive documenting of these specimens. Several federally funded grants will benefit from this new scanner in terms of its expanded capabilities. Our current 9.4 T with a 30 mm inner diameter RF coil is only capable of imaging mice and is currently serving several R01, P01, and P50 projects as well as some pilot scans. It is currently already running 24/7. The 7 T ClinScan can accommodate RF coils with inner diameter of 15.4 cm which allows imaging of small primates as well as whole brain specimens. We also foresee that the 7 T field strength will become a standard in clinical practice in the near future, so it is important that mechanistic issues about disease processes be studied at this level to allow translation. Figure 1 shows currently installed 7 T systems. Research projects at our institution include white matter disruption in schizophrenia using genetically modified mouse models and diffusion tensor imaging, high resolution morphometric studies of mouse models of Alzheimer's disease, development of MRI contrast agents both for in vivo imaging of certain brain receptors and other biomarkers as well as atherosclerotic plaque imaging. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: MicroMRI is the superior imaging modality to visualize soft tissue structure as well as biological processes. A microMRI scanner will allow researchers to test efficiently animal models of disease and treatment strategies at much higher resolution and specificity than is possible with human scanners. Results can be translated conveniently to human MRI scanners in terms of diagnosis as well as to humans in terms of treatment methods.