We are writing this application to obtain a SARRP 200 Small Animal Radiation Instrument that is manufactured by Xstrahl life sciences to be used at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC). This instrument combines computed tomography (CT) imaging with X-ray irradiation to provide precise irradiation (as small as 1 mm) to a small animal. The instrument allows basic scientists to better model radiation therapy that is used clinically. Given that a majority of cancers are treated with some form of radiation, basic scientists need to be able to mimic radiotherapy that is given clinically. UNMC has many investigators that research cancer biology, specifically: prostate, pancreas, breast, leukemia and brain cancers are studied on campus in combination with radiation. In addition, normal tissue injury due to radiation therapy or health worker exposures is another area of focus on campus. However, UNMC does not have adequate instrumentation to mimic clinical radiation dosing schemes; i.e. precise, fractionated dosing over a sustained period of time. The SARRP 200 is the only machine that can deliver true non-coplanar beams, which replicates clinical radiotherapy. In fact, there is no instrument like the SARRP 200 Small Animal Radiation Instrument at UNMC or in the whole state of Nebraska. The closest instrument like this is in the Chicago area, which is 470 miles away from Omaha. Our objective with this request for the SARRP 200 Small Animal Radiation Instrument is to provide state of the art and clinically relevant, radiotherapy to our animal models. This instrument will make the current research at UNMC more translational and clinically relevant and will also help to recruit new members to the newly built Cancer Center on campus. The projects detailed in this proposal are from 12 major users and 4 minor users. In addition, we have some early-staged investigators (in the minor user group) whose work would benefit greatly from the addition of this machine. The biggest overall benefit from the addition of this instrument will be enhancement of the research enterprise at UNMC, particularly the Cancer Center.
This is a request for a special irradiator unit that combines computed tomography (CT) imaging with X-ray irradiation to provide precise irradiation to a small animal. UNMC has many investigators that research cancer biology; however, we do not have adequate instrumentation that mimics clinical radiation dosing schemes. The SARRP 200 small animal radiation instrument replicates clinical radiotherapy, which will allow for more translational research to be performed at UNMC.
