SPECT Imaging Module for Small Animal Imaging

描述（由申请人提供）：我们的长期目标是在俄克拉荷马大学健康科学中心（OUHSC）药学院建立一个小型动物成像设施（SAIF）。本研究的目的是为小动物建立一个单光子发射断层扫描（SPECT）系统。该系统将补充我们现有的为动物模型成像提供正电子发射断层扫描（PET）和计算机断层扫描（CT）的能力。我们设想创建SAIF基础设施，以便在OUHSC和其他俄克拉何马州研究中心和制药实验室的行列中，在不断增长的药物开发和临床前工作中分配核成像的专业知识。获得SPECT系统将促进药学院扩大核药学教育、研究和服务的总体目标。因此，本建议的具体目标是：1。为我们现有的小动物PET-CT系统获取SPECT模块；建立为生物医学研究人员提供成像能力的机制。药学院已经获得了用于小动物的PET-CT系统。该系统本质上是模块化的，并且通过添加SPECT模块可以升级为三模态系统。我们提出了一种基于先进碲化镉锌探测器的模块，具有高能量、空间和对比度分辨率。该检测器具有较高的检测灵敏度。SPECT将与成像和重建包一起获得，这将使我们能够在同一会话内同时对多个SPECT放射性核素进行成像。意义：最近，FDA和NCI发布了一项关键路径倡议，以解决新分子实体提交率下降的问题。成像生物标志物的开发是克服这一障碍的重要策略。拟议的SAIF将是俄克拉荷马州地区第一个提供多模态核成像的SAIF。它将被OUHSC的生物医学研究人员以及俄克拉何马州的其他研究机构利用，以加速药物开发的临床前阶段。随着越来越多的研究人员寻求各种成像支持，在OUHSC中获取SPECT已经成为一种必要。提出的SPECT系统也将在提供核药学研究生课程的药学院的整体教育计划中增加必要的价值。在服务领域，OUHSC核药房经常生产临床使用的“孤儿”SPECT放射性药物。药学院内SPECT成像的存在将对这些产品在临床使用前的成像潜力和生物分布进行测试具有巨大的价值。因此，SAIF的SPECT成像将服务于OUHSC使命的所有三个组成部分——研究、教育和服务，并帮助OUHSC实现其改善区域卫生保健的雄心。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Our long-term objective is to establish a small animal imaging facility (SAIF) at the College of Pharmacy in the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center (OUHSC). The purpose of this proposal is to acquire a single photon emission tomography (SPECT) system for small animals. The system will complement our existing capabilities of providing positron emission tomography (PET) and computed tomography (CT) for imaging animal models. We envision creating the SAIF infrastructure in order to distribute the expertise of nuclear imaging in growing drug development and pre-clinical efforts within the ranks of OUHSC, and other Oklahoma-based research centers and pharmaceutical laboratories. The acquisition of a SPECT system will facilitate the over all goal of the College of Pharmacy to expand nuclear pharmacy education, research and service. As such, the specific aims of this proposal are: 1. to acquire SPECT module for our existing small animal PET-CT system, and 2. to establish a mechanism for provision of imaging capabilities to the biomedical researchers. The College of Pharmacy has already acquired a PET-CT system for small animals. The system is modular in nature and has the capability of being upgraded to a tri-modality system by addition of a SPECT module. We propose to obtain a module based on advanced Cadmium Zinc Telluride detector with high energy, spatial, and contrast resolution. The proposed detector has high sensitivity of detection. The SPECT will be acquired with the imaging and reconstruction package which will enable us to simultaneously image multiple SPECT radionuclides within the same session. Significance: Recently, the FDA and NCI have published a Critical Path Initiative to address dropping submission rate of new molecular entities. The development of imaging biomarkers is an essential part of the strategy proposed to overcome this barrier. The proposed SAIF will be the first in Oklahoma region to provide multi-modality nuclear imaging. It will be leveraged by biomedical researchers in OUHSC as well as other research facilities in Oklahoma to hasten pre-clinical phase of drug development. With the ever increasing number of researchers seeking a variety of imaging support, acquisition of SPECT in OUHSC has become a necessity. The proposed SPECT system will also add essential value in the overall educational program of the College of Pharmacy which offers graduate program in nuclear pharmacy. In service area, the OUHSC Nuclear Pharmacy often produces `orphan' SPECT radiopharmaceuticals for clinical use. The existence of SPECT imaging within the College of Pharmacy will be of immense value in testing these products for their imaging potential and biodistribution before their clinical usage. Therefore, SPECT imaging in SAIF will serve all three components of the OUHSC mission- Research, Education and Service, and help OUHSC fulfill its ambition to improve regional health care. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: We propose to acquire a single photon emission tomography (SPECT) system to image small animal models of human diseases. The SPECT will help speed up pre-clinical drug development research in Oklahoma region, supplement educational program in nuclear pharmacy, and provide a resource to the OUHSC Nuclear Pharmacy for the development of new radiopharmaceuticals.