UCLA has biological imaging problem based on PET instrumentation, chemistry, assays and applications, and a strong program in cancer biology, detection and treatment. Four years ago Dr. Herschman, PET Program, initiated a collaboration to merge the principles of cell and molecular biology with molecular imaging. With Drs. Barrio, Cherry, Gambhir, Sayamurthy and (later) Toyokuni, they initiated a program to monitor, in living animals, the expression of reporter genes in a non- invasive, repetitive and quantitative fashion. This collaboration developed two PET reporter genes, the dopamine D2 receptor and the Herpes Simplex Virus thymidine kinase, whose ectopic expression can be monitored in vivo by the Pet reporter gene-dependent sequestration of systematically administered positron-labeled probes. The technology has been validated at UCLA both for virally delivered genes for gene therapy applications and in transgenic animal models for applications to repetitively monitoring gene expression. The goal of the UCLA ICMIC is to translate new in vivo imaging technology to cancer research. Four outstanding investigators; Hong Wu, Charles Sawyers, Owen Witte and Arnold Berk, along with our initial gene imaging group, are proposing projects that utilize microPET in living animals to answer questions in cancer initiation, progression, metastasis, vascularization, immune modulation and gene therapy that would otherwise be difficult to approach. Our Specialized Resources are designed to provide investigators not versed in imaging analysis. We think this initial outstanding cadre of recruits to imaging applications in cancer research will be catalytic, and draw additional faculty to this new technology through our ICMIC Developmental Funds Program. We also regard laboratory and didactic training at the interface of these disciplines, for both (i) new and established cancer investigators and (ii) new and established imaging researchers, as the major way to develop the next generation of cancer researchers-who will view this interface as seamless. Our Career Development Component will provide a collaborative laboratory environment and a tailored didactic program designed to merge these disciplines for individual trainees.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
Type
Specialized Center (P50)
Project #
5P50CA086306-03
Application #
6514543
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZCA1-SRRB-3 (J2))
Program Officer
Menkens, Anne E
Project Start
2000-05-01
Project End
2005-04-30
Budget Start
2002-05-01
Budget End
2003-04-30
Support Year
3
Fiscal Year
2002
Total Cost
$2,000,000
Indirect Cost
Name
University of California Los Angeles
Department
Pharmacology
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
119132785
City
Los Angeles
State
CA
Country
United States
Zip Code
90095
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Tavaré, Richard; Escuin-Ordinas, Helena; Mok, Stephen et al. (2016) An Effective Immuno-PET Imaging Method to Monitor CD8-Dependent Responses to Immunotherapy. Cancer Res 76:73-82
Kirkby, Nicholas S; Chan, Melissa V; Zaiss, Anne K et al. (2016) Systematic study of constitutive cyclooxygenase-2 expression: Role of NF-?B and NFAT transcriptional pathways. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 113:434-9
Kim, Woosuk; Le, Thuc M; Wei, Liu et al. (2016) [18F]CFA as a clinically translatable probe for PET imaging of deoxycytidine kinase activity. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 113:4027-32
Clark, Peter M; Mai, Wilson X; Cloughesy, Timothy F et al. (2016) Emerging Approaches for Targeting Metabolic Vulnerabilities in Malignant Glioma. Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep 16:17

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