Project Grant S10OD034326

MICRO-PET/CT SYSTEM FOR PRECLINICAL MOLECULAR IMAGING - PROJECT SUMMARY. THIS PROPOSAL REQUESTS FUNDS TO ACQUIRE A NEW MICRO POSITRON EMISSION AND COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY (MICRO-PET/CT) IMAGING SYSTEM FOR INVESTIGATORS CONDUCTING CUTTING-EDGE PRECLINICAL MOLECULAR IMAGING RESEARCH AT EMORY UNIVERSITY. PET IS A MEDICAL TECHNIQUE THAT CREATES IMAGES OF BIOCHEMICAL PROCESSES OCCURRING IN VIVO, WHERE RADIOACTIVE MOLECULES (ALSO KNOWN AS PET LIGANDS) ARE INJECTED AND THE DISTRIBUTIONS OF THOSE MOLECULES ARE MEASURED USING A PET SCANNER. THE UNIQUE DETECTION PHYSICS OF PET PERMIT THE CREATION OF IMAGES THAT ARE FULLY QUANTITATIVE AND CAPABLE OF ASSESSING METABOLISM, PROTEIN BINDING, RECEPTOR DENSITY, BLOOD FLOW, CELLULAR SYNTHESIS AND OTHER BIOLOGICAL PROCESSES. EMORY HAS A WELL-ESTABLISHED CENTER FOR SYSTEMS IMAGING CORE (CSIC), WHICH IS AN NIH-SUPPORTED CORE LABORATORY WITH A COMPREHENSIVE SUPPORTING RADIOCHEMISTRY FACILITY INCLUDING DISCOVERY LABORATORIES, RADIOPHARMACY AND AN ON-SITE CYCLOTRON. THE CSIC STRIVES TO DEVELOP AND APPLY BREAKTHROUGH IMAGING APPROACHES IN TRANSLATIONAL AND CLINICALLY MEANINGFUL WAYS. OUR CONTINUING SUCCESS RELIES ON THE INTEGRATION OF NEW AND EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES INTO OUR EXISTING RESEARCH IMAGING PLATFORM; HOWEVER, OUR CURRENT SMALL-ANIMAL PET/CT SCANNER IS OBSOLETE AND AT HIGH RISK OF BECOMING INOPERABLE DUE TO SERVICE AND PARTS DISCONTINUATION OF THE MANUFACTURER. WE PROPOSE TO PURCHASE A STATE-OF-ART PET/CT IMAGING SYSTEM, WHICH OFFERS AN INNOVATIVE, HIGH- PERFORMANCE WITH IMPROVED SPATIAL RESOLUTION AND SENSITIVITY AT LOWER COST. ONE INTEGRATED MICRO-PET/CT PLATFORM WITH PRECISION MACHINING OF THE ANIMAL BED ASSURE SMOOTH TRANSITION WHILE FULLY AUTOMATIC IMAGE CO-REGISTRATION FUSES IMAGES WITH MICROMETER PRECISION. PHYSIOLOGICAL MONITORING OF RATS AND MICE IS ASSURED THROUGH RESPIRATORY, BODY TEMPERATURE AND CARDIAC GATING. THE PROPOSED IMAGING SYSTEM WILL BE HOUSED AT THE CSIC AND MANAGED BY A TEAM OF EXPERT TECHNICAL FACULTY AND ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF THAT ARE HIGHLY EXPERIENCED IN OPERATING NIH- SUPPORTED CORE FACILITIES. A COMPLETE ORGANIZATIONAL PLAN IS PRESENTED WITH STRONG INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT TO TAKE FULL ADVANTAGE OF THE PROPOSED INSTRUMENT AND CORE RESOURCES. THE NEW MICRO-PET/CT WILL BE AN IMPORTANT RESOURCE NOT ONLY FOR MANY CURRENTLY FUNDED BIOMEDICAL IMAGING RESEARCH PROJECTS, INCLUDING STUDIES ON NEURODEGENERATIVE DISORDERS AND BRAIN FUNCTION, CANCER, CARDIOVASCULAR AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES, BUT ALSO BECOME AN INVALUABLE IMAGING PLATFORM TO DEVELOP NEW INNOVATIVE, INTERDISCIPLINARY AND TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH AT THE EMORY RESEARCH COMMUNITY, AS WELL AS AT OTHER INSTITUTIONS IN THE GREATER ATLANTA AREA.