Micro CT/NIR Molecular Imaging of Cancer

描述（由申请人提供）：本提案中的基本假设是，计算机断层扫描可以通过增加对癌症组织的结构和功能更敏感的近红外光谱成像能力来显著增强，并且然后可以改善对癌症治疗的理解和开发。这一总体假设的实际测试集中在开发一种新的临床前成像系统，用于癌症治疗中的肿瘤诊断和监测。将结合小动物X射线计算机断层扫描（microCT）和近红外（NIR）断层扫描系统。该microCT/NIR系统将是世界上唯一的此类系统，并将允许软组织体积的高分辨率成像和血红蛋白、氧饱和度、水和外源分子示踪剂的定量，以及CT引导的图像重建。该研究将评估NIR断层扫描与CT的最佳耦合，包括接触式和非接触式系统。该研究将测试宽带光谱层析成像，以提供尽可能多的信息，并利用非接触式数据重建，这是不敏感的边界误差，在基于模型的图像重建过程。完整的系统将用于血管和细胞定向治疗诱导的肿瘤损伤的研究。该系统将与Imtek Inc.建立独特的学术-行业合作伙伴关系，并与NCI光学成像转化研究网络（NTROI）合作，提供机构支持。该系统是专门设计的创新后，CT-PET成像，可以用相同的系统，但在此应用中，我们将利用近红外成像的能力，以提供功能组织信息。CT信息被实现为可以用于约束或初始先验信息的软先验信息。将使用具有良好表征的血管密度和氧直方图的皮下和原位前列腺癌肿瘤评价该系统。该系统将用于根据与噪声的对比度定义最大信号变化，这是治疗变化的定量特征。这项工作的高潮将看到一种断层扫描系统的工作版本，为未来的人类研究铺平道路，并用于自发的动物研究，以发现和跟踪肿瘤生长，否则将无法检测到。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The underlying hypothesis in this proposal is that Computed Tomography could be significantly augmented with the addition of near-infrared spectral imaging capabilities which are more sensitive to the structure and function of cancer tissues, and that improved understanding and development of cancer therapies will then be possible. The practical tests of this overarching hypothesis are focused on the development of a novel pre-clinical imaging system for tumor diagnosis and monitoring in cancer therapy. A small animal x-ray Computed Tomography (microCT) with Near-Infrared (NIR) tomography system will be combined. This microCT/NIR system will be the only system of its kind in the world, and will allow high resolution imaging of soft tissue volumes and quantification of hemoglobin, oxygen saturation, water and exogenous molecular tracers, with CT-guided image reconstruction. The study will evaluate the optimal coupling of NIR tomography into the CT, including contact and non-contact based systems. The study will test broadband spectral tomography to provide the maximal information possible and utilize reconstruction from non-contact data which is insensitive to boundary errors in the model-based image reconstruction procedure. The completed system will be used in studies of tumor damage induced by vascular and cellular directed therapies. The system will be developed in a unique academic-industry partnership with Imtek Inc, as well as with institutional support and with partnership from the NCI Network for Translational Research in Optical Imaging (NTROI). This system is specifically being designed following the innovations in CT-PET imaging that can be done with the same system, but in this application we will exploit the capabilities for NIR imaging to provide functional tissue information. The CT information is implemented as a soft prior information which can be utilized for constraint or initial prior information. The system will be evaluated with subcutaneous and orthotopic prostate cancer tumors which have well characterized vascular densities and oxygen histograms. The system will be used to define the maximal signal changes in terms of contrast to noise, which are quantitative signatures of therapeutic change. The culmination of this work will see the a working version of a one of a kind tomography system, and pave the way for future human studies, and be used in spontaneous animal studies to find and follow tumor growth which would otherwise be undetectable.