The MRB Molecular Imaging Service Center has served faculty of the Johns Hopkins Institutions since 2004, with over 55-65 NIH funded Principal Investigators (PIs) using the Service Center. Several of these PIs have expressed a strong interest in using an optoacoustic (OA) imaging scanner to significantly increase the impact of their research. We identified iThera?s multispectral optoacoustic tomography (MSOT) inVision 512-echo scanner as a system of choice for this High-End Instrumentation Grant Program application. This system will meet the demands of detecting nanoparticle (NP) delivery overlaid with the physiological capabilities of OA imaging such as oxygenation and hemodynamics that the PIs require. The system will provide quantifiable cross-sectional images in real time for pharmacokinetic (PK) and pharmacodynamic (PD) studies. The MSOT scanner will be the first of its kind within the JHU SOM campus. We have included 13 active NIH grants from 13 Major Users that will significantly benefit from the MSOT scanner. These grants focus on oncology, cardiology and regenerative medicine. Studies with the MSOT scanner will include developing nanoparticles for therapy and theranostics, understanding the role of hypoxia and hemodynamics on cancer invasion and metastasis, improving the outcome of immune checkpoint inhibitors in cancer treatment, understanding the effects of cancer, especially cancer-induced cachexia, holistically, improving the outcome of chemo and radiation therapy, understanding the mechanisms underlying sudden cardiac death, and developing strategies for regenerative medicine. We have assigned dedicated space for this instrument in our brand new satellite facility in Cancer Research Building 2 (CRB2)-LB03 that has just completed construction. The facility has a built-in animal holding area to house experimental animals with an animal vivarium located directly above, to allow easy transfer of animals to the imaging center. An advanced small animal radiation research platform (SARRP) is located adjacent to this satellite facility. The location of this instrument within our new satellite facility with a state-of-the-art 7T Bruker PET-MR scanner and a Rapiflex mass spectrometry imaging system will allow us to integrate the wide-ranging capabilities of an OA imaging scanner with other imaging systems for the best possible use for research applications. The scanner may be adapted, in the future, to attach a handheld device, creating the possibility of translating the research. The Chair of Radiology has already invested $800K in constructing the satellite facility, with an additional $150K provided to support the MSOT scanner. The Chair of Oncology will provide an additional $30K in support of the scanner.
The installation of an optoacoustic imaging scanner, for the first time at Johns Hopkins, will have a significant impact on accelerating research advances to implement precision medicine to achieve effective treatment of diseases. The strong expertise and infrastructure available at Johns Hopkins will allow us to utilize such a system to the best possible advantage, to make significant advances in translational research in areas of major public heath impact.
