IVIS Spectrum CT Imaging System in BSL-3 Containment

描述(申请人提供)：这项共享仪器拨款(PAR-12-017)要求资金购买IVIS Spectrum CT活体成像系统，通过与小动物计算机断层扫描(CT)共同注册的生物发光和荧光二维或三维成像，对活体动物的疾病进展、细胞传播和基因表达模式进行非侵入性、纵向监测。重要的是，该仪器将被安置在匹兹堡大学区域生物安全实验室(RBL)内的临床前成像核心内，提供三大好处：1)在27,000平方英尺的设施内，专门建造以提供在生物安全级别(BSL)-3和动物生物安全级别(ABSL)-3下运行的实验室套房和核心设施；2)注册以处理多种精选制剂病毒和细菌病原体和毒素；3)在生物隔离笼子中容纳从小鼠到非人类灵长类动物(NHP)的广泛动物物种；4)与疫苗研究中心(CVR)合作，其资金充足的教员拥有与这些高致病生物研究相关的研究兴趣和专业知识，并利用RBL BSL-3/ABSL-3遏制设施；5)专门致力于该设施的训练有素的管理团队和支持人员，促进与其他机构的合作。静脉注射用药系统 SPECTRUM CT系统将与CVR/RBL临床前成像核心现有的微型PET/CT成像能力共同注册，由一个成熟的管理团队监督，并由训练有素的人员操作，以最大限度地获得和使用高优先级病原体研究。人们对BSL-3/ABSL-3病原体研究的兴趣与日俱增，以及来自高致病生物的生物发光/荧光报告表达技术的日益可用，以及用于监测疾病/免疫反应参数的技术的日益可获得性，这些结合在一起，突显了我们需要提高围堵成像能力的必要性。CVR/RBL实验室目前和预期的用途包括小鼠、大鼠、兔子、雪貂和小型NHP的发病机制和挑战研究，每种研究都可以在IVIS Spectrum CT系统中进行成像。增加IVIS频谱CT将：1)满足现有的研究需求；2)吸引更多的地区甚至全国希望将活体动物成像纳入他们的研究的研究人员；3)为RBL应急响应网络提供重要的能力。这一区域的BSL-3/ABSL-3容器内既没有生物发光/荧光活体成像，也没有显微CT。此外，在全国范围内，只有少数这样的仪器被安置在具有BSL-3/ABSL-3遏制和选择代理安全的设施中。匹兹堡大学RBL提供的病原体和动物模型的多样性，以及将IVIS Spectrum CT与现有的微型PET/CT成像能力相结合的计划，提供了真正独特的资源。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This Shared Instrumentation Grant (PAR-12-017) requests funds to purchase an IVIS Spectrum CT in vivo imaging system for non-invasive, longitudinal monitoring of disease progression, cell trafficking and gene expression patterns in living animals through bioluminescent and fluorescent two- or three- dimensional imaging co-registered with small animal computed tomography (CT). Importantly the instrument will be housed within the Pre-Clinical Imaging Core inside the Regional Bio containment Laboratory (RBL) at the University of Pittsburgh offering three major benefits: 1) housing within a 27,000 square foot facility, purpose-built to provide laboratory suites and core facilities operating unde Biosafety Level (BSL)-3 and Animal Biosafety Level (ABSL)-3; 2) registration to handle numerous Select Agent viral and bacterial pathogens and toxins; 3) housing for a wide range of animal species in bio containment caging, from mice to non-human primates (NHPs); 4) association with the Center for Vaccine Research (CVR), whose well-funded faculty have research interests and expertise related to the study of these highly pathogenic organisms and utilize the RBL BSL-3/ABSL-3 containment facilities; 5) a highly trained management team and support staff dedicated to the facility who foster collaborations with other institutions. The IVIS Spectrum CT system will be coregistered for use with existing micro PET/CT imaging capabilities in the CVR/RBL Pre-Clinical Imaging Core, overseen by an established management team and operated by trained personnel to maximize access and use for high-priority pathogen research. The combination of increased interest in research on BSL-3/ABSL-3 pathogens with the increasing availability of technologies for expression of bioluminescent/fluorescent reporters from highly pathogenic organisms as well as for monitoring of disease/immune response parameters highlights our need to improve imaging capabilities in containment. Current and anticipated use of the CVR/RBL laboratories includes pathogenesis and challenge studies in mice, rats, rabbits, ferrets and small NHPs, each of which are amenable to imaging in the IVIS Spectrum CT system. Addition of an IVIS Spectrum CT will: 1) satisfy existing research needs; 2) attract additional researchers regionally or even nationally who wish to integrate live animal imaging into their research; and 3) provide an important capability to the RBL emergency response network. Neither bioluminescence/fluorescence in vivo imaging nor micro CT is available within BSL-3/ABSL-3 containment in this region. Moreover, nationally there are only a few such instruments housed in facilities with BSL-3/ABSL-3 containment and Select Agent security. The diversity of pathogens and animal models available in the University of Pittsburgh RBL and the plan to integrate this IVIS Spectrum CT with existing micro PET/CT imaging capabilities provides a truly unique resource.