Preclinical Imaging and Tumor Analysis

临床前肿瘤分析和成像（PTAI）共享资源致力于促进癌症中心成员的肿瘤体内研究。这一共享资源有助于将研究项目从实验室或患者样本转移到体内动物模型环境中，从而加强将发现转化为潜在治疗应用的有用知识。PTAI是将现有的分子评估和临床前研究（MAPS）共享资源与动物影像学共享资源合并而成，以便更好地将影像学整合到动物肿瘤模型分析中。PTAI共享资源在各种肿瘤模型中测试涉及小分子、生物和/或辐射的治疗方法，并帮助转化研究人员生成这些模型。该资源为皮下和异性异种移植和同基因小鼠模型的标准化或定制方案的设计和性能提供指导和帮助。PTAI共享资源使用ACUC批准的协议进行临床前研究，可以遵循既定的协议，并将帮助研究人员设计自定义协议。新的重点放在利用生物发光、PET或MRI对肿瘤生长和扩散进行无创检测和测量上。工作人员具有丰富的经验，担任顾问和培训人员以及服务提供者。它们还充当协调其他共享资源中的服务的代理，为PI提供一个单一的接触点，以执行可能包括细胞培养、免疫组织化学、流式细胞术、肿瘤分子分析和统计在内的整个研究。PTAI为临床医生提供实验室服务，其中一些临床医生可能没有适当的实验室设施或工作人员，并为缺乏体内模型经验或完全依赖体外模型的实验室科学家启动动物研究。体内临床前研究提供的优势包括开发整个动物模型系统，用于1)预测人类患者的药物反应和分析机制，2)描述人类肿瘤细胞的异质性，其复杂性无法在体外研究范围内获得；3)模拟肿瘤微环境；4)追踪转移性肿瘤的进展、扩散和侵袭。PTAI提供的服务是癌症中心转化研究计划的一个组成部分。

The Preclinical Tumor Analysis and Imaging (PTAI) Shared Resource is dedicated to facilitating in vivo studies of tumors by Cancer Center members. This Shared Resource serves to move research projects from the bench or from a patient's sample into an in vivo animal model context, thereby enhancing the translation of discoveries into useful knowledge for potential therapeutic applications. PTAI was formed by merging the pre-existing Molecular Assessment and Preclinical Studies (MAPS) shared resource with the Animal Imaging Shared Resource, so as to better integrate imaging into analyses of animal tumor models. The PTAI Shared Resource tests therapies involving small molecules, biologies, and/or radiation in a variety of tumor models and also helps translational investigators generate these models. This resource offers guidance and assistance for the design and performance of standardized or customized protocols for subcutaneous and orthotropic xenograft and syngenic mouse models. The PTAI Shared Resource uses ACUC approved protocols to perform preclinical studies, can follow established protocols, and will help investigators design custom protocols. New emphasis is placed on the noninvasive detection and measurement of tumor growth and spread using bioluminescence, PET or MRI. Staff members have considerable experience and serve as consultants and trainers as well as service providers. They also act as agents to coordinate services in other shared resources, providing a single point of contact for a PI to carry out an entire study that might include culture of cells, immunohistochemistry, flow cytometry, molecular analyses of tumors, and statistics. The PTAI provides laboratory services to clinicians, some of whom may not have appropriate laboratory facilities or staff, and initiates animal studies for laboratory scientists who have inadequate experience with in vivo models and otherwise depend solely on in vitro models. The advantages provided by in vivo preclinical studies include the development of whole animal model systems for 1) drug response predictions in human patients and analysis of mechanisms, 2) depicting the heterogeneity of human tumor cells, the complexity of which cannot be obtained within the confines of in vitro studies; 3) mimicking the tumor microenvironment and 4) tracking the progression, spread and invasion of metastatic cancers. The services offered by PTAI are an integral part of the Cancer Center translational research initiatives.