The purchase of a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) system for the in vivo study of small animals (primarily mice and rats) is proposed. The system will be based on a 7 Tesla, 210 mm horizontal bore magnet and a versatile console that can adapt to a variety of experimental protocols. The system will be used by an interdisciplinary group of 22 scientists, primarily at the University of Georgia, in support of their research on mouse and other small animal models of human disease. Their research, much of it already funded by the NIH, requires accurate monitoring of anatomical and physiological changes in animals during the course of a study. Traditionally, this is done by histological procedures on animals sacrificed at various times during a study. However, in time course studies, sacrifice introduces the effects of population variations, degrading the quality of data and requiring observations on multiple animals to restore statistical validity. The MRI/MRS system will provide a versatile alternative that allows in vivo imaging of anatomical features and the non-invasive monitoring of metabolite levels that can correlate with disease.
The use of small animal models for the study of normal development, of progression of human disease, and of treatment of human disease, has become widespread in the scientific community. This is particularly true in the case of mouse and rat models, where the availability of near complete maps of the genomes is greatly facilitating an ability to extrapolate results to other mammals. Improving the quality of data in these studies, through the use of MRI/MRS, will benefit our ability to combat and understand human diseases, including cancer, diabetes, obesity, circulatory disease, neurodegenerative disease, and pathogenic infection.
