MRS/MRI for Small Animal Models of Disease

描述（由申请人提供）：拟购买用于小动物（主要是小鼠和大鼠）体内研究的磁共振成像（MRI）和磁共振波谱（MRS）系统。该系统将基于一个7特斯拉，210毫米水平孔磁铁和一个多功能控制台，可以适应各种实验协议。该系统将由一个由22名科学家组成的跨学科小组使用，主要是在格鲁吉亚大学，以支持他们对小鼠和其他人类疾病小动物模型的研究。他们的研究，其中大部分已经由NIH资助，需要在研究过程中准确监测动物的解剖和生理变化。传统上，这是通过在研究期间的不同时间处死的动物的组织学程序来完成的。然而，在时程研究中，处死引入了种群变异的影响，降低了数据质量，并需要对多只动物进行观察以恢复统计有效性。MRI/MRS系统将提供一种通用的替代方案，允许解剖特征的体内成像和与疾病相关的代谢物水平的非侵入性监测。 公共卫生相关性：使用小动物模型来研究正常发育、人类疾病的进展以及人类疾病的治疗在科学界已经变得普遍。在小鼠和大鼠模型的情况下尤其如此，其中接近完整的基因组图谱的可用性极大地促进了将结果外推到其他哺乳动物的能力。通过使用MRI/MRS提高这些研究中的数据质量，将有助于我们对抗和了解人类疾病的能力，包括癌症，糖尿病，肥胖，循环系统疾病，神经退行性疾病和病原性感染。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The purchase of a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) system for the in vivo study of small animals (primarily mice and rats) is proposed. The system will be based on a 7 Tesla, 210 mm horizontal bore magnet and a versatile console that can adapt to a variety of experimental protocols. The system will be used by an interdisciplinary group of 22 scientists, primarily at the University of Georgia, in support of their research on mouse and other small animal models of human disease. Their research, much of it already funded by the NIH, requires accurate monitoring of anatomical and physiological changes in animals during the course of a study. Traditionally, this is done by histological procedures on animals sacrificed at various times during a study. However, in time course studies, sacrifice introduces the effects of population variations, degrading the quality of data and requiring observations on multiple animals to restore statistical validity. The MRI/MRS system will provide a versatile alternative that allows in vivo imaging of anatomical features and the non-invasive monitoring of metabolite levels that can correlate with disease. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The use of small animal models for the study of normal development, of progression of human disease, and of treatment of human disease, has become widespread in the scientific community. This is particularly true in the case of mouse and rat models, where the availability of near complete maps of the genomes is greatly facilitating an ability to extrapolate results to other mammals. Improving the quality of data in these studies, through the use of MRI/MRS, will benefit our ability to combat and understand human diseases, including cancer, diabetes, obesity, circulatory disease, neurodegenerative disease, and pathogenic infection.