Shared Resource 16: Small Animal Imaging (SAISR)

PROJECT SUMMARY – SMALL ANIMAL IMAGING SHARED RESOURCE (SAISR) The SAISR provides critical support to OSUCCC’s preclinical imaging needs and translational therapeutic development to provide a fundamental service for monitoring live animal tumor progression and regression, metastatic spread, and response to therapeutic interventions. Services include pre-study consultation, small animal imaging, analysis and data interpretation, and education and training. Major equipment in SAISR includes a Bruker 9.4T MRI, a Vevo high frequency ultrasound, an IVIS Lumina II, a Bruker Skyscan 1276 microCT, an Xstrahl Small Animal Radiation Research Platform, and an Echo-MRI. SAISR’s Specific Aims are to: 1) provide OSUCCC investigators’ access to high resolution non-invasive small animal imaging technologies that can be used to evaluate small animal cancer models and treatment therapies in vivo; 2) provide accurate qualitative image interpretation and quantitative image data analysis to al OSUCCC users; 3) identify, evaluate, and implement new and emerging technologies that address specific needs of the OSUCCC investigators; and 4) recognize and promote integration of other shared resource services that add value to investigators studies, such as the CPDISR that provides necropsy and pathology services for mice, and the MSR that provides high resolution microscopy imaging of ex vivo tissue samples. The SAISR is located within the Biomedical Research Tower, centrally located to most OSUCCC researchers. The Director of the SAISR is Dr. Kimberly Powell, who has managed the facility since 2011. The Senior Faculty Advisor is Dr. Nicholas Denko (CB), who provides overall scientific vision for the SAISR. During current grant cycle, the SAISR identified important new imaging modalities (echoMRI, the Xtrahl SAARP, and the SkyScan 1276 microCT) and worked with investigators and the OSUCCC to obtain them. During this time period, the SAISR has contributed to 41 publications (9 > 10 impact factor), 156 users, and 41 NCI including 27 R01s, 3 R21s, 4 U01s, 5 P01s, 1 P50 and 1 R03, involving members from all five programs. Given the robust OSUCCC recruitment of the OSUCCC and its research priorities, demand for services and new technologies will increase. The SAISR will expand its staff, instrumentation and services before capacity is reached. Additionally, the SAISR will add PET scanning and optoacoustic imaging. SAISR is working to: 1) develop optimized protocols for quantifying lung metastases and pancreatic tumor burden using the newly acquired microCT; 2) collaborate with the CPDISR, MSR, and TVdSR and the Genetically Engineered Mouse Models Core (a non-CCSG activity) to comprehensively characterize disease progression in mouse cancer models (i.e., lung, pancreatic, glioblastoma, and breast); and 3) expand molecular imaging capabilities. If images are digitized, they could be used for machine learning techniques. The SAISR will be a regular member of the Immune Monitoring and Discovery Platform. The annual budget is $575,505, yet the CCSG request is $61,080. Thus, the SAISR leverages extensive institutional support and seeks only 10.6% support from CCSG funds.