- Home
-
Research
Development -
Research
Development -
Community
Engagement -
Scientific
Translation -
Human
Studies -
Informatics
Biostatistics -
Education
Training -
Research
Ethics -
Regulatory
Support
|
|
|
The USC Molecular Imaging Center (USC MIC) offers accessibility to a wide variety of state-of-the-art imaging instrumentation. As an integral part of the Department of Radiology’s mission to promote Interdisciplinary research in oncology, neurology, cardiology and other disciplines, our goal is to Increase awareness and accessibility for all scientists, as well as assist investigators with imaging research projects.
Comparatively inexpensive technique for noninvasive study of molecular targets inside the body of the living animals. Optical imaging utilizes a variety of labeled molecules: bioluminescence, fluorescent proteins, and fluorescent dyes or nanoparticles. Research applications include in vivo tracking and monitoring of tumor cells, bacteria, stem cells, and also the study of gene function. Xenogen IVIS 200 Imaging Series:
This system allows researchers to use real-time, noninvasive imaging to monitor and record cellular and genetic activity in vivo. Integrated into the system are both a bioluminescence system and a fluorescence system and the capability to easily switch between modalities. A laser scanner also provides 3D surface topography for single-view diffuse tomographic reconstructions of internal sources. Background noise is minimized while sensitivity is maximized using a 26 mm square CCD which is cryogenically cooled. An anesthetic system is built-in to keep animals anesthetized for the duration of the experiment. Scans generally take 1-10 minutes to complete with five field of view options ranging from 4 cm to 25 cm.
Xenogen applications in oncology offer unique opportunities to measure tumor growth and metastasis in a variety of models. In vivo bioluminescent imaging allows the non-invasive detection and quantification of orthotopic, metastatic and spontaneous tumors in the whole mouse. Xenogen’s biophotonic imaging technology has been optimized for high sensitivity, such that micrometastases can be detected that would otherwise require histopathology to identify. Xenogen oncology models can be used to assess anti-cancer therapies over the course of treatment in vivo. Non-invasive, bioluminescent imaging of tumor growth and metastasis allows longitudinal evaluation of tumor development before, during and after treatment, offering an excellent preclinical strategy to assess tumor response and recurrence.
Unlike other non-invasive imaging modalities such as PET or MRI, Xenogen’s imaging technology is rapid, easy to perform and amenable to high throughput. The equipment can be used inside of a barrier facility, and thus can be employed for routine drug screening. Furthermore, the proprietary image analysis software enables accurate quantification for ease of data analysis.
Applications:
• Quantify tumor burden in the whole mouse
• Detect micrometastases with high sensitivity
• Visualize metastases spontaneously generated from a primary tumor
• Follow responses to therapeutic treatments non-invasively in longitudinal studies
Cyclotron and Radiochemistry Laboratories
The most essential ancillary service we offer investigators is centralized radiochemistry/chemistry support and technician staffing for related experiments. Our collaborators require routine access to a number of probes previously developed within our own and other molecular imaging programs, as well as new imaging probes directed at specific research questions. Established and novel probes for PET and optical imaging, such as [18F]FDG, [18F]FHBG, [11C] and [18F]FMAU, [64Cu] and [18F]RGD peptides, and various cancer-related, near-infrared probes are available to MIC investigators. This “service” component of the program relieves investigators of the need to duplicate chemistry support for the development and preparation of imaging probes or technicians skilled in imaging procedures. This has been an important component of our success to date, i.e., we have made it relatively easy for investigators to implement small animal imaging as a part of their research.
Located adjacent to the USC Experimental Imaging Laboratory, the cyclotron and radiochemistry laboratories contain all the equipment needed to support radiopharmaceutical development and production for the molecular imaging studies. Production of the PET radioisotopes is accomplished with a Siemens RDS-112 negative ion cyclotron, which is an 11 MeV proton accelerator capable of simultaneously delivering 50 μA beam currents to each of two targets. Four beam extraction ports and 12 carousel-mounted target foils permit rapid changes of targets and production of multiple radioisotopes each day. The cyclotron is a self-shielded, easy-to-use system optimized for production of positron emitting radioisotopes via fully automated techniques.
The Radiochemistry Laboratory is outfitted with three hot cells, a gas chromatograph, automated HPLC systems, in-line UV and radioactivity detectors, radioactivity dose calibrators, balances, pH meters and rotoevaporators. Automated delivery lines are used to transfer radioisotopes directly from the cyclotron to shielded hot cells equipped with remote manipulators. There is also a laminar flow hood for sterile preparations. Radiosynthetic devices are computerized to provide operational efficiency, and there are automated synthesis modules for [18F]FDG, [11C]FMAU, [18F]FHBG, [15O]H2O, [15O]CO, [15O]CO2, [13N]NH3, and [18F]5-fluorouracil.
The Inveon CT Module provides high-resolution images of skeletal and soft tissue. Primarily used in bone and fat imaging, but has also been shown to be effective for vascular and soft tissue imaging when a suitable contrast medium is employed. Research applications include characterizing soft-tissue structures, skeletal abnormalities, and tumors in live animals.
Designed to meet your throughput, resolution, and image quality needs, Inveon sets the standard for in vivo preclinical micro computed tomography. With a range of X-ray source and detector configurations available, the ability to adjust the scanner magnification between scans, and a suite of image reconstruction and data analysis tools, the Inveon delivers the most versatile preclinical CT solution in its class.
Automated Zoom Control
The X-ray source and detector are positioned on precision, computer controlled mechanical slides, allowing the operator to adjust the scanner FOV and resolution from the command console.
High Resolution
With the optional variable focus X-ray source, the Inveon delivers in vivo resolution as low as 15 microns.
Large FOV
With the optional 165 mm X-ray detector, the Inveon FOV can be as large as 10 cm. The bore diameter
Respiratory and Cardiac Gating
A high-speed shutter acquires image frames with exposure times as short as 10 ms for cardiac and respiratory gated studies. Four TTL gating ports allow you the versatility to manage your dynamic acquisition.
Real Time Reconstruction
The optional, dedicated real time reconstruction engine generates 512 x 512 x 768 voxel images in real time during the scan. Alternatively, a multi-node computer cluster is available for high speed reconstruction upon scan completion.
Applications:
Musculoskeletal
• Bone Metastasis
• Arthritis
• Osteoporosis
• Remodeling
Vascular
• Disease progression
• Therapeutic effect
Oncology
• Angiogenesis
• Metastases – liver, lung, bone
Cardiovascular disease
• Stenosis
• Vascular disease & development
• Injury/repair
• Vessel geometry
Respiratory disease
• Lung Tumor
• Airway structures
• Lung vasculature
High-resolution and high-sensitivity nuclear medicine technique using radiopharmaceuticals that depict physiologic, metabolic, and molecular processes in vivo. Research applications include gene expression, tissue perfusion, stem cell tracking, targeting tumor antigens, angiogenesis, hypoxia, apoptosis, as well as metabolism and substrate utilization in various vital organs.
Positron emission tomography scanner with a 19cm (transaxial) by 7.6 cm (axial) field of view. The system has an absolute sensitivity of 4% with a spatial resolution of ~1.3 mm at the center of the field of view. List-mode data acquisition allows acquired data to be processed in a static or dynamic fashion to provide quantitative snapshots or summed sequences of radioactivity distribution in live animals. An interchangeable bed allows successive PET/CT scans of small animals to provide structural and metabolic data similar to PET/CT scans in clinical scenarios without the need for additional fusion or morphing software manipulations. Non-invasive, in vivo functional imaging with microPET® allows both serial and longitudinal studies to be conducted in the same animal. This gives the researchers the opportunity to follow a single animal over time and to monitor the effects of interventions on disease progression and outcome. microPET® is therefore a particularly valuable tool in animal models that have high intrinsic value or which exhibit high variability.
Applications
• Study animal models of human disease
• Study genetically engineered animals
• Assess new pharmacological agents in drug development
• Assess novel drug delivery and gene therapy approaches
• Develop new molecular imaging assays
• Develop new radiotracers for use in diagnostic imaging
This unit provides spatial resolution down to 30 microns; in fact the highest resolution available in real-time today. And the system is non-invasive, which allows longitudinal studies and fewer mice required. VisualSonics technology provides scientific professionals with a simple method for efficiently viewing extremely small physiological structures and for imaging living tissue and blood flow with near-microscopic resolution. The Vevo 770 has evolved from the outset as a tool designed to be utilized by researchers. Because the mouse is the preferred model for phenotypic study, genetic research and drug applications, the Vevo 770 has been developed specifically for mice. Researchers should note however, that the equipment and technology is readily transferable and adaptable to other small animal models such as the rat and rabbit.
The Vevo 770 is able to deliver the small animal researcher:
• Non-invasive, in vivo visualization of embryonic (E5.5) through to adult mice in real-time.
• Ability to perform longitudinal studies of disease progression and regression in individual subjects.
• Image resolution of anatomical and physiological structures of down to 30 microns.
• Ability to visualize image-guided needle injection and extraction.
• Microcirculatory and cardiovascular blood flow assessment.
• High throughput via user-friendly equipment and research-driven interface.
• Open architecture allowing comprehensive measurement and annotations and offline data analysis.
Applications:
• Molecular Imaging
• Cardiovascular Research
• Neurobiology
• Developmental Biology
• Cancer Biology
Techniques
• Image-Guided Injection
• Screening
• Blood Flow Analysis
• 3D Visualization & Measurement
Contact us for further information.
| Autoradiography | $125/hour | $125/hour |
| Large animal PET | $300/hour | $300/hour |
| MicroCT | $150/hour | $150/hour |
| MicroPET | $200/hour | $200/hour |
| Post-processing | $ 50/hour | $ 50/hour |
| Ultrasound (Vevo 770) | $150/hour | $150/hour |
| Xenogen (Bioluminescense/Fluoroscence) | $130/hour | $130/hour |
Varies by experiment and services requested.
The USC Molecular Imaging Center (MIC) is dedicated to research studies of small animals for a variety of applications. The MIC is staffed with trained machine operators and animal technologists. MIC faculty are active in developing novel methods of imaging to obtain new types of information as well as in applying current methods to study a wide range of biomedical questions. The preclinical versions of the PET, CT, US scanners in our facility provides information from studies in preclinical rodent or primate models which can be directly translated to clinical settings. In addition to the structural and functional data provided by each instrument listed above, supplemental data can also be acquired using autoradiography and biodistribution studies. In addition, optical imaging studies provide gene reporter analysis using transgenic models or tumor cell lines with luciferase or fluorescence measurements of labeled molecule distribution using quantum dot nanotechnology.
2250 Alcazar Street, CSC/IGM 103
Los Angeles, California 90033-9061
Peter S. Conti, MD, PhD, FACNP, FACR
Director
1510 San Pablo Street, Suite 350
323 442 5900
323 442 5778
pconti@usc.edu
Grant Dagliyan, MPH
Laboratory Manager
2250 Alcazar Street, CSC/IGM 103
Los Angeles, California 90033-9061
Tel: 323 442 1166
Fax: 323 442 3253
Cell: 818 621 3175
dagliyan@usc.edu
Phone : 323 442 1166 Email: dagliyan@usc.edu Scheduling: http://mic.usc.edu/Guidelines.html