PET/SPECT/CT Camera for Small Animal Imaging at UMMS

描述（由申请人提供）：近年来，随着分子医学的发展，特别是分子成像的出现，对小动物成像的兴趣也在增长。正电子发射断层扫描（PET）和单光子发射断层扫描（SPECT）等方法对研究体内分子事件的外部无创成像具有相当大的价值。SPECT和PET的高灵敏度使得生理浓度的示踪剂在体内成像成为可能，这是目前任何其他技术都无法做到的，尤其是在深部组织中。虽然PET的小动物成像已经证明了它的价值，但SPECT提供了许多优势，包括进行双重标记研究的能力，更高的内在分辨率的潜力，99mTc，诊断核医学中最有用的放射性核素，碘放射性同位素（125I和123I）对体内蛋白质组学研究至关重要。美国国立卫生研究院资助的研究人员和其他支持这一应用的人需要对小动物进行放射性测量。在某些情况下，如果不需要，这些测量将受益于小动物PET/SPECT相机的层析成像能力或更高分辨率。在所有情况下，优越的空间和时间的生物分布将以较少的动物牺牲。单个动物可以作为自己的对照是一个主要优势，例如在肿瘤和感染/炎症研究中，成像目标组织很难标准化。通过x射线计算机断层扫描（CT）对放射性分布与解剖结构的共同登记是一项宝贵的资产，除了一种小型动物PET相机外，其他所有动物都没有商业化。总之，PET和SPECT用于非侵入性体内动物成像的优势在于，它们在检测生物示踪剂方面的灵敏度要高得多，尤其是在深部组织中。进行动物生物分布的首选方法是动物成像，并且动物成像的首选方法是在具有匹配空间分辨率的专用小型动物相机上。我们希望购买GammaMedica PET/SPECT/CT相机，这是唯一一款能够同时进行PET和SPECT的市售小动物相机，并配备CT功能进行解剖登记和定量。此应用程序描述了一个管理计划，其中包含从全职博士科学家向教员管理员报告的命令链，两者都将向私家侦探报告，而私家侦探又将向咨询委员会报告。摄像机的使用问题和UMMS鼓励成像的方法将由用户和非用户咨询委员会审议，该委员会包括具有动物护理、管理、冲突解决和小动物成像经验的成员。p.i.和他的合作者希望利用高端仪器补助金作为工具，在UMMS建立一个用于小动物成像的核心设施的核心。我们相信这个应用程序解决了NIH提供RFA的目标和UMMS在我们校园扩大小动物成像使用的目标。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Interest in small animal imaging has grown in recent years in step with developments in molecular medicine and, in particular, with the emergence of molecular imaging. Modalities such as positron emission tomography (PET) and single photon emission tomography (SPECT) are of considerable value to researchers concerned with external noninvasive imaging of molecular events in vivo. The much higher sensitivities of both SPECT and PET make possible in vivo imaging of tracers at physiological concentrations not possible at present with any other technology especially in deep tissues. While small animal imaging with PET has certainly proven its worth, SPECT offers many advantages including the ability to perform dual labeling studies, the potential for higher intrinsic resolution, 99mTc, the most useful radionuclide in diagnostic nuclear medicine, and iodine radioisotopes (125I and 123I) critical for emerging in vivo proteomics research. NIH-funded investigators and others supporting this application have need for radioactivity measurements in small animals. In some cases, these measurements will benefit from, if not require, the tomographic imaging capability or the higher resolution of a small animal PET/SPECT camera. In all cases, superior spatial and temporal biodistributions will be obtained with the sacrifice of fewer animals. That a single animal can act as its own control is a major advantage, for example in tumor and infection/inflammation studies in which the imaging target tissue is difficult to standardize. The co-registration of radioactivity distribution with anatomy by X-ray computed tomography (CT) is an invaluable asset not yet available commercially in all but one small animal PET camera. In summary, the advantage of PET and SPECT for non-invasive in vivo animal imaging is the vastly higher sensitivity for the detection of biological tracers especially in deep tissues. The preferred method of performing animal biodistributions is animal imaging and the preferred method of animal imaging is on a dedicated small animal camera with matching spatial resolution. We wish to purchase the GammaMedica PET/SPECT/CT camera, the only commercially available small animal camera capable of both PET and SPECT, and equipped with CT capability for anatomical registration and quantitation. This application describes an administration plan with a chain of command from a full-time PhD scientist reporting to a faculty member administrator, both of whom will report to the P.I. who, in turn, will report to an advisory committee. Questions of camera usage and methods of encouraging imaging at UMMS will be considered by the advisory committee of users and non-users that includes members with experience in animal care, administration, conflict resolution and small animal imaging. The P. I. and his collaborators wish to use the High-End Instrumentation Grant as a vehicle to establish the nucleus of a core facility at UMMS for small animal imaging. We believe that this application addresses the goals of the NIH in offering the RFA and the goals of UMMS to expand use on our campus of small animal imaging.