Development of a synchrotron based non-invasive three-dimensional imaging method for soft tissue engineering in vivo studies

简介：* 在组织工程（TE）中，生物医学成像技术在生物材料、支架、细胞和工程组织的表征中发挥着越来越重要的作用。虽然常规成像技术，例如光学显微镜、电子显微镜等，尽管生物材料在体外研究中得到广泛应用，但由于缺乏体内成像技术，揭示生物材料与再生组织之间的体内相互作用仍然具有挑战性。TE的进步需要成像技术的许多创新，这些技术能够实现三维（3D）和延时体内可视化以及TE支架的非侵入性定量分析。目的：* 我的研究计划的长期目标是推进TE和其他生物医学应用的同步加速器（SR）X射线成像的技术和实践基础。这项由NSERC DG资助的研究在未来5年内的短期目标是开发一种系统的3D成像方法，用于软组织工程的非侵入性体内研究，具有三个具体目标：（1）开发一种新的基于SR传播的成像-螺旋计算机断层扫描（PBI-SCT）系统，用于非软组织和水凝胶支架的侵入性离体成像，并优化系统以实现最佳的空间和对比度分辨率;（2）为成像系统开发支持数据处理方法，以处理这些图像数据并量化再生组织和支架的3D结构;以及（3）进一步优化成像系统以具有用于体内成像应用的最低可能的辐射剂量，同时保持尽可能高的空间和对比度分辨率，并具有TE体内应用的定量成像能力。**影响：* 该项目有几个广泛的影响，将为生物医学科学和社会带来重要利益。该项目的成功完成将使PBI-SCT成为表征工程组织3D结构的高效工具，并将对TE领域产生变革性影响。TE研究的加速将对人类健康产生重大影响，为治疗疾病、创伤或先天性缺陷导致的缺陷提供新的治疗方法。该研究还将涉及研究生的培训，以满足对生物医学成像领域高素质人才日益增长的需求。

INTRODUCTION: ***In tissue engineering (TE), biomedical imaging techniques play an increasingly essential role in the characterization of biomaterials, scaffolds, cells, and engineered tissues. Although conventional imaging techniques, such as light microscopy, electron microscopy, and etc., are widely used in in vitro studies, it is still challenging to reveal the interactions between biomaterials and regenerative tissues in vivo due to the lack of in vivo imaging techniques. Progress in TE requires a number of innovations in imaging techniques which are capable of allowing three-dimensional (3D) and time-lapse in vivo visualization and a non-invasive, quantitative analysis of TE scaffolds.******OBJECTIVES: ***The long-term objective of my research program is to advance the technical and practical basis of synchrotron-based (SR) X-ray imaging for TE and other biomedical applications. The short-term goal for this NSERC DG-funded research in the next 5 years is to develop a systematic 3D imaging method for non-invasive in vivo studies of soft tissue engineering with three specific objectives: (1) develop a novel SR propagation based imaging - spiral computed tomography (PBI-SCT) system for non-invasive ex vivo imaging of soft tissue and hydrogel scaffolds and optimize the system to achieve the best spatial and contrast resolution; (2) develop a supporting data processing method for the imaging system to process those image data and quantify the 3D structure of regrowth tissues and scaffolds; and (3) further optimize the imaging system to have the lowest possible radiation dose for in vivo imaging applications, while maintaining the highest possible spatial and contrast resolution with quantitative imaging capabilities for TE in vivo applications.******IMPACT: ***There are several broad impacts of the project that will yield important benefits to both biomedical science and society. The successful completion of this project will establish the PBI-SCT as a highly effective tool for characterizing the 3D structure of engineered tissues and will have a transformative impact on the field to TE. The acceleration of TE research will have significant impact on human health by leading to new therapeutic approaches for the treatment of defects resulting from disease, trauma or congenital defects. The research will also involve training of graduate students to meet the increasing demand for highly qualified personnel in biomedical imaging.*****