In Vivo Optical Imaging Scanner for Small Animal Research

描述(由申请人提供)：弗吉尼亚大学(UVA)医学院和工程学院在开发和应用成像方法和技术方面建立了成功的研究计划，用于非侵入性系列研究感染疾病1，2心脏病3-5，肺部炎症6和癌症7，8等许多小动物和人类的分子机制。成像在UVA分子成像中心(UVaMIC)进行，该中心拥有最先进的成像设备，包括磁共振(MR)、X射线计算机断层扫描(CT)、平面荧光和生物发光成像(BLI)、单伽马发射断层扫描(SPECT)和正电子发射断层扫描(PET)扫描仪。生物发光和荧光成像9-11已经成为靶向分子成像的高灵敏度和高通量成像手段。我们正在为下一代高灵敏度和高分辨率的小动物光学成像仪申请资金，该成像仪具有基于一种名为漫反射光学层析成像的计算技术的3D重建能力。我们建议从卡里珀生命科学公司购买光谱、小动物荧光和生物发光光学扫描仪。目前从Xenogen(现在是卡里珀生命科学公司的一部分)购买IVIS 100扫描仪。有一些限制，这些限制将被UVaMIC中拟议的新光学扫描仪克服。新系统的主要好处将是更好的荧光成像和创建3D图像的能力。通过现有的全面技术、科学和管理计划，将确保充分利用SPECTRUM小型动物光学扫描仪提供的增强能力。 与公共健康相关：我们正在为最先进的生物发光和荧光小动物扫描仪申请资金，这是弗吉尼亚大学(UVA)分子成像项目的必要资源。分子成像是“在人类和其他生命系统的分子和细胞水平上对生物过程进行可视化、表征和测量。”12这种通过对生物过程成像进行的探测可用于定位和量化特定的事件。与正电子发射断层扫描(PET)或单伽马发射断层扫描(SPECT)相比，光学成像是一种首选的功能成像方式，因为它具有高灵敏度和高吞吐量。此外，与放射性核素成像相比，由于生物半衰期较长，可以在几天内对动物对象中的分子事件进行非侵入性研究，而在放射性核素成像中，半衰期是主要限制因素。然而，光学和PET和/或SPECT的组合可以在动物受试者和人类中实现高灵敏度和高分辨率的分子事件成像。尽管不太可能进行全身扫描，但漫反射光学层析成像技术已经显示出对乳腺癌、浅表前哨淋巴结、脑表面、手臂和手指进行成像的可行性。在UVaMIC现有的大量成像资源基础上增加下一代生物发光和荧光扫描仪与公众健康的相关性在于，这种扫描仪的存在将使现在不可能利用光学扫描检测、表征和治疗疾病的新方法的研究成为可能。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The University of Virginia (UVa) Schools of Medicine and Engineering have established successful research programs in the development and application of imaging methodologies and techniques for non- invasive serial studies of the molecular mechanisms underlying infectious diseases1, 2 heart disease 3-5, lung inflammation 6 and cancer 7, 8 amongst many others in small animals and humans. Imaging is carried out at the UVa Molecular Imaging Center (UVaMIC) that houses state of the art imaging devices including magnetic resonance (MR), X-ray computed tomography (CT), planar fluorescence and bioluminescence imaging (BLI), single gamma emission tomography (SPECT), and positron emission tomography (PET) scanners. Bioluminescence and fluorescence imaging 9-11 have emerged as high sensitivity and high throughput imaging modalities for targeted molecular imaging. We are requesting funds for a next generation high sensitivity and high-resolution small animal optical imager with 3D reconstruction capabilities based on a computational technique called diffuse optical tomography. We propose to purchase the SPECTRUM, small animal fluorescence and bioluminescence optical scanner from Caliper Life Sciences, Inc. The present IVIS 100 scanner from Xenogen (now a part of Caliper Life Sciences, Inc.) has a number of limitations, which would be overcome by the proposed new optical scanner in the UVaMIC. The main benefits of the new system will be better fluorescence imaging and the ability to create 3D images. Full utilization of the enhanced capabilities afforded by the SPECTRUM small animal optical scanner will be assured through an existing comprehensive technical, scientific, and administrative plan. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: We are requesting funds for a state of art bioluminescence and fluorescence small animal scanner, which is a necessary resource for the University of Virginia (UVa) program in molecular imaging. Molecular imaging is the "visualization, characterization, and measurement of biological processes at the molecular and cellular levels in humans and other living systems."12 This probing by imaging of biological processes can be used to localize and quantify particular events. Optical imaging is a preferred functional imaging modality over Positron Emission Tomography (PET) or Single Gamma Emission Tomography (SPECT) due to its high sensitivity and throughput. Moreover, molecular events in an animal subject could be non-invasively studied over days due to longer biological half-life as compared to radionuclide imaging where half-life is a major constraint. However, a combination of optical and PET and/or SPECT could enable both high sensitivity and high resolution imaging of molecular events in animal subjects and humans. Although whole body human scanning is unlikely, the feasibility of the diffuse optical tomography technique for imaging breast cancer, superficial sentinel lymph nodes, the brain surface, arms and fingers has been shown. The relevance to public health of the addition of the next generation bioluminescence and fluorescence scanner to the already extensive imaging resources available at UVaMIC is that the presence of this scanner will enable research that is now not possible on new ways of detecting, characterizing, and treating diseases utilizing optical scanning.