Preclinical Imaging Research Laboratory

临床前成像研究实验室（PIRL）是Lombardi综合癌症中心（Lombardi）的共享资源，于2006年正式成立。PIRL的目标是为参与癌症发生、进展和阻断/治疗研究的隆巴迪研究人员提供高分辨率的体内小动物成像和图像分析。PIRL的高端仪器使体内癌症的无创、纵向研究成为可能。PIRL使用以下仪器提供临床前成像研究的设计、获取和分析方面的专业知识：布鲁克7-特斯拉磁共振成像（MRI）和磁共振波谱（MRS）控制台、小动物超声（Vevo660）工作站、x射线成像单元（Faxltron）和可见-近红外光谱成像工作站（Maestro II）。2008年，在Lombardi的支持下，PIRL获得了Maestro工作站，将布鲁克磁铁的成像软件更新到Paravision 4.0，并聘请李义建博士进行磁共振成像。对磁体的进一步升级将于2009年5月完成。PIRL提供降落成像，以及为研究者发起的图像采集培训课程。PIRL使用授权给PIRL的Bruker软件对所有原始MRI和MRS数据进行分析，而不管由谁进行采集。

The Preclinical Imaging Research Laboratory (PIRL) is a shared resource of the Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center (Lombardi), formalized in 2006. The objective of the PIRL is to provide high-resolut6ion in vivo small animal imaging and image analysis for Lombardi researchers involved in the study of cancer initiation, progression, and interdiction/therapy. The high-end instruments in PIRL enable noninvasive, longitudinal studies of cancer in vivo. The PIRL provides expertise in the design, acquisition, and analysis of preclinical imaging studies using the following instrumentation: a Bruker 7-Tesla magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) console, a small-animal ultrasound (Vevo660) workstation, an X-ray imaging unit (Faxltron) and a visible-near infrared spectroscopic imaging workstation (Maestro II). Support from the Lombardi in 2008 allowed the PIRL to acquire the Maestro workstation, update imaging software for the Bruker magnet to Paravision 4.0, and hire Dr. Yi-Chien Lee to perform the MR imaging. Additional upgrades to the magnet will be completed in May of 2009. The PIRL provides drop-off imaging, as well as training sessions for investigator initiated image acquisition. All original MRI and MRS data regardless of who has performed the acquisition are analyzed by the PIRL using Bruker software that is licensed to the PIRL. The director, Christopher Albanese, PhD, Associate Professor of Oncology, is a molecular biologist with expertise in genetically engineered mouse modeling and imaging. The PIRL is co-directed by John VanMeter, PhD, director of the ST human fMRI facility at Georgetown University Medical Center, with over 15 years of expertise in medical imaging and software development and Dr. Olga Rodriguez, MD, PhD, an Assistant Professor of Oncology and an expert in preclinical MRI as well as clinical and preclinical pathology. In 2008, the PIRL was utilized by 13 Lombardi investigators from four Lombardi programs.