• Wide isotope energy range (20-600 KeV)  capable of imaging therapeutic isotopes, including Lu-177, I-131, Bi-213, Ac-225, etc.
• Patented1 M3-pinhole technology and Tera-Tomo 3D SPECT reconstruction algorithm to provide absolute quantification of SPECT images;
• High sensitivity reaching 13000 cps/MBq, with sub-millimeter high resolution;
• High throughput imaging with triple mouse imaging capability;
• Capable of fast dynamic scan with full stationary imaging;
• High resolution high speed CT imager with iterative reconstruction;
• Animal beds integrated with vital sign monitoring;
• Large imaging bore capable of imaging large animal models up to 6 kg;
• Integrated intuitive InterView FUSION software package for easy visualization and analysis.

The new nanoScan SPECT/CT has been installed and fully commissioned for preclinical imaging. The imaging core is optimizing the operation procedures and finalizing the SOP for the system.  Several imaging experiments have been tested with imaging probes labeled with ⁶⁷���,��¹³¹��,��²¹¹At, etc.  We will continue working with each group to develop appropriate imaging protocols for specific imaging projects.  The system will be available for imaging evaluation at no charge until May 30^th. After that, normal service charges will apply according to the approved imaging rates.  If you have any questions, please contact us at bricsai@med.unc.edu or check out our SPECT/CT website.

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Main Imaging Features

• Wide linear dynamic range: at least 5 orders of
  magnitude.
• High sensitivity: detecting at femtogram levels for fluorescent applications
• High Resolution: adjustable resolution from 1000 micron to 10 microns, making it ideal for scanning slides and arrays
• Two-channel NIR imaging capability: Two fluorescent solid-state laser diodes at 685 nm and 784 nm with 3nm narrow band
• Phosphor imaging capability: using laser light and PMT detector, providing high resolution imaging of phosphor screen at 25 um resolution.

For more information on the Sapphire system please email us at bricsai@unc.edu or check out our website.

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Date/Time: November 25th, 2004 from 1:00pm – 2:00pm

Location:  Marsico Hall room 2004

Seminar���پ��ٱ���:��Regions of Interest on Autopilot; How the Revvity Team is Leveraging AI to Automate In Vivo Image Analysis

Speaker: Ryan Gessner, PhD, Life Science Platforms Innovation Leader

Link: /bric/small-animal-imaging/small-animal-imaging-seminar/

Dr. Gesser will introduce some of the AI-related developmental work at Revvity, the industry leader in preclinical in vivo imaging devices, and innovative approaches to preclinical image analysis.

The post Small Animal Imaging to host seminar on AI tools update from Revvity appeared first on Biomedical Research Imaging Center.

Xinrui’s research focuses on developing innovative biorthogonal reactions for theranostic applications, creating disease-specific radiopharmaceuticals for cancer diagnosis and therapy, and characterizing tracer pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics in small animals and non-human primates. The goal of her work is to develop highly sensitive and specific agents for disease detection, such as early Alzheimer’s disease (AD) diagnosis, as well as for therapeutic applications.

This year’s award-winning poster featured her work on a novel photoredox-catalyzed deoxyradiofluorination technique for labeling SV2A-target molecules in Alzheimer’s disease imaging. “Synaptic Vesicle Glycoprotein 2 isoform A (SV2A) is a promising marker for positron emission tomography (PET) imaging of various brain dysfunctions, including Alzheimer’s,” said Xinrui. “We’re targeting SV2A with our new tracer to improve AD imaging.”

At Zibo Lab, where Xinrui conducts her research, a photoredox radiofluorination methodology was developed, enabling the production of PET agents from simple precursors under mild conditions. This approach addresses the challenges associated with developing SV2A-targeting PET agents, which typically require complex synthesis and harsh labeling conditions.

“I presented our exciting preclinical imaging findings,” Xinrui explained. “Specifically, we observed that the newly synthesized tracer, using the photoredox method, delivered very promising results.” Her longitudinal imaging study of AD mice showed significantly lower brain uptake of the tracer in older-phase AD mice compared to younger-phase AD and wild-type mice, suggesting a decrease in SV2A expression as AD progresses. Xinrui plans to conduct further research into the kinetics of the tracer, including how quickly it enters and clears from the brain. She also aims to expand her studies to larger animals, such as monkeys, to better understand tracer distribution across different brain regions.

“If successful, this new imaging method could significantly improve our ability to monitor AD progression and assess the effects of treatments on synaptic density across a variety of neurodegenerative diseases,” Xinrui said.

The post Xinrui Ma wins Best Poster Presentation at the 2024 Radiology Department Research Syposium appeared first on Biomedical Research Imaging Center.

Abstract

Small animal CT imaging provides excellent bone structure, lung imaging, and gross anatomy with high resolution. However, it is limited in providing high quality tissue contrast in vivo. While several blood pool CT contrast agents have been developed to enhance vascular contrast for preclinical imaging, their enhancement capacity and performances are different in mouse models. VivoVistTM is the most recent commercially available blood pool CT contrast agent for preclinical applications. This study aimed to conduct an independent evaluation of its radiopacity and tissue enhancement by comparison with other preclinical CT contrast agents. Materials and Methods: Normal healthy nude mice were administered with one of the three contrast agents: VivoVist, MvivoAu, and Fenestra-HDVC. CT imaging was conducted before and 5 minutes after injection, with follow-up scans at 1, 4, 24, 48, 96, and 168 hours (7 days) after injection. Tissue intensity and enhancement ratio to the pre-injection level were quantified at all timepoints for each contrast agent. Results: At 5 min post injection, VivoVist had the highest blood enhancement level compared to MvivoAu, and Fenestra-HDVC. On the other hand, VivoVist had the fastest blood clearance among the three contrast agents with a blood half-life of 3.4 hours. The half-life for MvivoAU and Fenestra-HDVC was 31.6 hours and 9.7 hours, respectively. Late phase CT imaging showed that VivoVist had the highest liver enhancement among the three contrast agents and remained high over the 7 -day imaging duration. Biodistribution assessment revealed that the spleen uptake of VivoVist was extremely high, and future spleen tissue histology is needed to assess its tissue toxicity. Conclusions: VivoVist has demonstrated a promising contrast agent for CT imaging in mouse models for vascular and liver imaging with a limited blood circulation half-life. ​

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MICCAI 2023 Outstanding Area Chair Award.

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Top left: Quantifying the heart and brain structure and function in MRI. Top right: Examples of associations between heart MRI traits and brain white matter tracts. Bottom left: Genomic loci associated with heart MRI traits that overlapped with traits and disorders of the heart and/or brain. Bottom right: Selected genetic correlations between heart MRI traits and brain disorders.

Dr. Hongtu Zhu, a BRIC faculty member and his team recently published a paper in Science ().  They used advanced techniques to study the brain and its connection with the rest of the body. Traditional brain imaging methods often overlook the interaction between the brain and other organs. In a recent study, Zhu and colleagues examined data from over 40,000 individuals using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to explore how the heart is linked to brain structure and function. They discovered genetic links between different aspects of heart health and brain health. This study could help in predicting personalized risk for diseases.

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A major barrier limiting effective walking interventions in people with Parkinson’s Disease is the occurrence of insufficient motor learning. In the absence of disease modifying options, dopaminergic medications, and deep brain stimulation are often used as the disease progresses. Although effective at improving gait, these solutions are temporary, concealing the concurrent degeneration of dopaminergic neurons. As a result, these solutions become less effective at improving gait as the disease progresses and can wear off later in the day. Physical therapy has the potential to increase walking capacity as well as create long-term improvements through intensive training that focuses on motor learning. Learning how to improve walking represents a considerable challenge for patients and rehabilitation professionals. The proposed project will determine how to improve motor learning related to walking through residual intact neural pathways for improved gait and long-term retention of functional benefits.

In Aim 1, the team will assess the gait behavioral changes post-training and at a 3-month follow-up to determine retention. In Aim 2, they will explore structural and functional neural changes induced by the gait training interventions. This team is exceptionally well prepared to perform these Aims, consisting of experts in gait neurorehabilitation and biomechanics (Lewek), motor learning and neuroimaging (Dayan), and Parkinson disease clinical care (Browner). At the conclusion of this project, the team will have determined the available mechanisms of motor learning for people with PD, and will have examined the neural substrates that can be targeted to maximize remaining intact neural circuitry. This project has the potential to alter the manner in which rehabilitation is performed with people with PD, using a disease-specific motor learning paradigm that makes use of residual neural circuits for long-term retention of functional motor skills.

Dr. Dayan runs the Dayan Lab for NeuroInformatics at ������, which seeks to identify the organizational, dynamical, and computational properties of large-scale brain networks and to determine how these properties contribute to human behavior in health and disease. In relation to the overall mission of his lab, he notes of his newly funded work addressing aging-related cognitive decline: “The study utilizes inter-disciplinary methods and relies on the inter-disciplinary expertise of our diverse team. I believe we are well-positioned to tackle the study’s goals, and hope that the study will pave the way to additional long-term collaborative projects investigating neurodegeneration and aging.”

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The cover art illustrates ultrasound-mediated drug delivery into a biofilm-infected wound. Illustration by Ella Marushchenko.

Researchers at the ������ and the have developed a new method that combines palmitoleic acid, gentamicin, and non-invasive ultrasound to help improve drug delivery in chronic wounds that have been infected with S. aureus.

Using their new strategy, researchers including BRIC faculty member Dr. Paul Dayton, and Dr. Sarah Rowe-Conlon of the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, were able to reduce the challenging MRSA infection in the wounds of diabetic mice by 94%. They were able to completely sterilize the wounds in several of the mice, and the rest had significantly reduced bacterial burden. Their results ��������Cell Chemical Biology.

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