The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) and Comprehensive Cancer Center (CCC) are committed to the success of the newly established in vivo Magnetic Resonance Imaging Research Center (MRIRC). The School of Medicine has experienced enormous growth, currently ranking 13th in the country in terms of NIH grants. This MRIRC will have major support from the Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Gene Therapy Center. Other supports are from the Departments of Medicine, Pharmacology, Pathology, Radiation Oncology, Radiology, and the Division of Hematology/Oncology. There is an increased need for a cutting-edge NMR system for basic and translational research in gene-related projects for researchers in Cancer Center affiliated departments and also to non-cancer center departments as described in the last paragraph. Lipid MRS, fast diffusion imaging and diffusion-weighted MRS have been shown to be useful in providing the markers for various stages of apoptosis (for a review, see Evelhoch et al. 2000). Dynamic contrast enhanced MRI has been demonstrated in studying the alteration of vascular permeability, vascular volume, blood flow and tissue perfusion in response to anti-VEGF (Brasch et al. 1997 and Sipkins et al. 1998) and anti-VEGF receptor antibodies (Ng et al, unpublished human data). Fast MRI and MRS with spatial and high temporal resolution are rapidly developing in a direction that is more useful for molecular biology research and clinical application. As most of these molecular biology projects are investigating relatively small organs and tissue areas in rodents and small rabbits and canines, a high field and high gradients NMR system is needed to obtain higher spatial and temporal resolution in a small subject. The proposed 9.4T system has higher gradients (400 mT/m) in 20 cm (or 30 cm pending) bore size system for better spatial resolution in fast dynamic imaging sequences. It also increases S/N ratio and chemical shift separation. To be able to stay in the forefront of this exciting research field requires the availability of such a cutting-edge NMR system. The high field 9.4T/20cm horizontal NMR system is also capable to perform NMR measurements other than 1H and 31P, such as 19F, 13C, 23Na, 15N, 7Li and others that are potentially clinically important. The horizontal 200 mm bore magnet will also facilitates simultaneous acquisitions of MRI of an array of mouse brains (5-10 mice) using multiple slice pulse sequences. Simultaneous multi-nuclei MRS and MRI from the same region of interest can be obtained with appropriate coil design. The PI and his associates are experienced in designing various types of high-Q coils. The system would also facilitate two-dimensional homo- and hetero-nuclear spectroscopy to provide kinetic information of enzymatic reactions, simplify complex spectra and allow one to detect less sensitive nuclei, such as 13C and 15N. The system should be able to provide most of the features that are needed for advancing our in vivo MRS and MRI studies of animals as outlined in various supported projects.
