? Small Animal Imaging Facility The Small Animal Imaging Facility (SAIF) is the Abramson Cancer Center's (ACC) Shared Resource that provides state-of-the-art instrumentation, renowned faculty and technical support staff with the expertise necessary to apply a broad range of imaging modalities to small animal models. The SAIF was formed in 2006 as an amalgamation of existing cores and equipment and has grown steadily in both available resources and usage since its founding. Supported modalities in the SAIF include magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron emission tomography (PET), computed tomography (CT), single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), ultrasound imaging, photoacoustic imaging and optical/bioluminescence imaging. Upgrades added since the last renewal include one new optical scanner (2016), one PET and two CT scanners (2017), complete console upgrade of one of the MRI scanners (2018) and an intraoperative fluorescence scanner (2019). The SAIF also provides housing for rats and mice, allowing longitudinal imaging studies to be performed over an extended period. Dr. James Delikatny was appointed as Director of the Optical/Bioluminescence Sub Core in 2010 and overall Director of SAIF in 2014 and continues in that capacity. Dr. Stephen Pickup has served as the Technical Director and Director of the MRI Sub Core since the founding of the SAIF. The resource is composed of four sub-cores, each focusing on a particular group of imaging modalities and led by faculty with extensive experience. The SAIF provides critical support to the ground- breaking research efforts of many ACC members. These high-impact investigations include: tracking of T-cells and tumor cells in animal models of CAR-T immunotherapy (Drs. June, Gill, Milone, Powell, Ruella), development of imaging methods for measuring tumor metabolism using hyperpolarized MRI (Dr. Gade) or PET with F-18 labeled glutamine (Drs. Zhou, Mankoff) and translation of targeted fluorescent dyes developed for optical imaging in animal models into the surgical realm for intraoperative detection of tumor margins and micrometastases (Drs. Singhal, Delikatny). ACC members accounted for 41 of 76 investigators (54%) using the Shared Resource during the most recent reporting period (07/01/18-06/30/19). SAIF supports the research of six ACC Programs (Breast Cancer, Cancer Therapeutics, Hematologic Malignancies, Immunobiology, Radiobiology and Imaging, and Tumor Biology). Non-invasive small animal imaging is critically important to cancer biology and cancer therapy and the SAIF continues to be the essential resource for advancing cutting- edge and rigorous research in this area.
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