We are requesting funding to obtain a fluorescence molecular tomography (FMT) system from PerkinElmer. The Molecular Imaging Core (MIC), a well-known university-wide core facility, will house the instrument and make it available to its current and future users. FMT measures fluorescence signals from deep organs in live disease animal models by employing targeted or already available fluorescence molecular probes that can be excited from 635 nm to 790 nm. Washington University in St. Louis (WUSTL) and surrounding research community do not have access to a FMT system that provides easy-to-use interface and performs diverse wavelength imaging with the capability of detecting fluorescence in multiple channels. The FMT system will support 30+ NIH-funded projects, initially consisting of 5 major and 19 minor users from WUSTL and Saint Louis University (SLU). All the investigators have substantially published work in molecular imaging and demonstrable ongoing need for FMT. All these research works involve imaging diseases in deep tissues and understanding molecular mechanism of such diseases in live animal models. The proposed system has benchmarked non-invasive in vivo imaging studies in a variety of diseases, such as cancer, asthma, atherosclerosis, bone and skeletal disease, inflammation, and infectious diseases. The result of the studies will drive the development of a new generation of contrast agents for diagnostics, uncover complex molecular biology of the disease, and assess the efficacy of cancer treatments in preclinical models. In this regard, the ability of FMT to report dynamic or spatial events in deep tissues of live animals while minimizing instrument artifacts will serve as an indispensable complement to other microscopy and spectroscopy measurements available in the core. The system facilitates rapid and easy co-registration between MR, CT, SPECT, and PET imaging modalities and FMT data sets. The proposed system will enhance the services available in MIC for molecular imaging of biological processes and advance the research of many growing research groups at St. Louis. It will facilitate new collaborations and generate new concepts to advance our understanding of complex biological systems at in vivo level. Because of MIC's location in the heart of the medical center, the system will be available to all current and future users, as is the current practice with other instrument housed in MIC. Highly experienced personnel will manage the instrument, train new users, and help conduct new projects. The proximity of the instrument to research laboratories at WUSTL, SLU, and other St. Louis based research institution will attract new user and facilitate training o students and fellows using the state-of-the-art technology platform.
The new FMT system will create unexplored opportunities to understand the molecular basis of diseases through molecular imaging. The investigators with diverse expertise and research projects will accelerate the translation of findings using FMT from bench to bedside, including early disease detection and intervention, and development of effective targeted therapies.
