Small Animal Imaging
Overview
The Small Animal Imaging Shared Resource (SAISR) provides state-of-the-art in vivo imaging technologies and related diagnostic and radio-therapeutic services to JCCC and UCLA faculty, staff and students. The SAISR is a world-class, first-of-its-kind small animal imaging technology development and shared resources facility, providing JCCC investigators with technical imaging expertise and facilitating the design, execution and analysis of in vivo small animal imaging studies.
Our aims are:
- To provide expertise and support state-of-the-art small animal imaging technologies
- To provide expertise and support radiochemistry and radiolabeling production services
- To provide JCCC investigators with training in radiochemistry, preclinical imaging, and image analysis and to support the design and execution of imaging studies
The SAISR offers full-service whole body microPET, microCT, MRI, and optical imaging and complementary in vitro/ex vivo assays to measure tissue function and structure. Companion PET tracer radiochemistry and radiolabeling services are available in-house through the adjacent radiochemistry and cyclotron facility. Study design and development, training in imaging techniques, and staff assistance are offered regularly to all users. Please contact the SAISR at to get started.
Leadership
Mailing Address
Preclinical Imaging Technology Center
Crump Institute for Molecular Imaging
California NanoSystems Institute (CNSI)
2nd floor, Room 2112
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1770
(in the Court of Sciences)
Imaging Center
Phone:
Email:
Arion Chatziioannou:
Shili Xu:
Websites
In Vivo Imaging Services
Nuclear imaging
- Positron emission tomography (microPET)
- Static and dynamic whole body functional imaging
- Extensive panel of radiolabeled small molecule PET tracers (readily available)
- Peptide/protein radiolabeling service and workspace
- Computed tomography (microCT)
- Whole body anatomical imaging
- Quick scan time for in vivo imaging (1-2min)
- Down to 20 µm (specimen imaging) and 100 µm (in vivo imaging) resolution
- Contrast enhancement of soft tissues such as lymph nodes, spleen, liver, heart, gastrointestinal, major blood vessels
- Cardiac gating and respiratory gating are available
Optical imaging
- Bioluminescence, Fluorescence and Cerenkov imaging
- Whole body, multi-animal imaging
- Cell localization, target trafficking, longitudinal studies
- BLI: D-luciferin substrate provided
- FLI: multiple excitation/emission filters including near-infrared
MRI imaging
- Aspect 1T preclinical MRI system (50 micron resolution) with rodent head coil and body coil
- ECG-gated cardiac MRI available
Complementary services
- Routine productions of established PET tracers
- Novel PET tracer consultation and development
- Biologics radiolabeling
- Toxicology of new PET tracers for IND submission (through UCLA DLAM)
- Imaging-based pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics studies
- Radiotherapeutic labeling (e.g. Lu-177, Y-90) and efficacy studies
- PET tracer whole body biodistribution and dosimetry
- PET tracer metabolite analysis
- In vivo and ex vivo biodistribution studies of imaging agents
- In vitro binding and uptake assays (e.g. radiolabeled PET tracers; fluorescent biomarkers)
- In vitro and ex vivo (tissue or whole body) autoradiography
- Quantitative image analysis and training
- Image data processing and 2D slice or 3D volume renderings
- DICOM formatting and archiving
- 3D printing of CT-scanned objects
- Rodent tail vein i.v. injection of experimental agents and cells
Equipment
SPECT/CT
Single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging is a three-dimensional nuclear medicine imaging technique that enables real-time in vivo imaging to measure biodistribution of gamma-emitting radiotracers, radiolabeled compounds or cells. Our preclinical SPECT system (Mediso nanoScan SPECT/CT) combines an array of four gamma cameras on a gantry that rotate around the subject to provide spatial information on the distribution of the radionuclide within tissues. Common SPECT imaging applications include 99mTc sestamibi myocardial perfusion studies, 99mTc-HMPAO brain imaging to assess cerebral blood flow, 99mTc sestamibi parathyroid scans, 111In oxine-labeled white blood cell scans, 99mTc-methylene diphosphonate (MDP) bone scans, and biodistribution profiling of 177Lu-, 225Ac or 131I-labeled radioligand therapeutic agents.
In vivo imaging
- Positron emission tomography (microPET) and Single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT)
- Static and dynamic whole body functional imaging
- Extensive panel of radiolabeled small molecule tracers
- Peptide/protein radiolabeling service and workspace
- Whole body imaging of targeted radiopharmaceuticals
- Computed tomography (microCT)
- Whole body anatomical imaging
- Quick scan time for in vivo imaging (1-2min)
- Down to 17 µm (specimen imaging) and 100 µm (in vivo imaging) resolution
- Contrast enhancement of soft tissues such as lymph nodes, spleen, liver, heart, gastrointestinal, major blood vessels
- Cardiac gating and respiratory gating are available
Optical imaging
- Bioluminescence, Fluorescence and Cerenkov imaging
- Whole body, multi-animal imaging
- Cell localization, target trafficking, longitudinal studies
- BLI: D-luciferin substrate provided
- FLI: multiple excitation/emission filters including near-infrared
MRI imaging
- Aspect 1T preclinical MRI system (50 micron resolution) with rodent head coil and body coil
- ECG-gated cardiac MRI available
Complementary services
- Routine productions of established PET tracers
- Novel PET tracer consultation and development
- Biologics radiolabeling
- Imaging-based pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics studies
- Radiotherapeutic labeling (e.g. Lu-177) and efficacy studies
- PET/SPECT tracer whole body biodistribution and dosimetry
- PET/SPECT tracer metabolite analysis
- In vivo and ex vivo biodistribution studies of radiodiagnostic and radiotherapeutic agents
- In vitro binding and uptake assays (e.g. radiolabeled PET/SPECT tracers; fluorescent biomarkers)
- In vitro and ex vivo autoradiography
- Quantitative image analysis and training
- Image data processing and 2D slice or 3D volume renderings
- DICOM formatting and archiving
- 3D printing of CT-scanned objects
- Rodent tail vein i.v. injection of experimental agents and cells
Operations
- New investigators can contact the SAISR at to discuss potential studies, experimental design, data analysis, and for questions or advice
- After training, JCCC researchers can readily use the SAISR through secure keycard access around the clock
- Experiments are generally performed by members of the investigator’s lab after SAISR training, with expertise and assistance from the SAISR faculty and staff
- Animal housing facility: Adjacent to the Imaging Center is a barrier facility for housing animals before and after imaging with biosafety cabinets for procedures
- The Imaging Center is fully certified by UCLA’s Office of Animal Research Oversight (OARO) and Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S) for animal welfare and radiation, laboratory, biological and chemical safety procedures
Pricing
| Service | JCCC Rate | Per Unit |
|---|---|---|
| microPET/CT imaging | $322.91 | Hour |
| SPECT/CT imaging | $239.87 | Hour |
| microCT imaging | $148.55 | Hour |
| MRI | $176.32 | Hour |
| Bioluminescence (includes D-luciferin) or fluorescence imaging | $108.14 | Hour |
| Usage of gamma counter, liquid scintillation counter, cryomacrotome, cryomicrotome, cryomacrotome, cryomicrotome, Fuji BAS phosphor imager, procedure workspace, etc. | $44 | Hour |
| Imaging staff assistance | $115.02 | Hour |
| Imaging data analysis | $164.41 | Hour |
| Tain vein i.v. injedction | $29.22 | Injection |
| 3D printing | $8.89 | Hour |
List of Available PET Tracers
| PET Probe | Type | Biological Application |
|---|---|---|
| [18F]FDG | Glucose | Glycolysis (oncology, neurology, etc.) |
| [18F]NaF | Hydroxyapatite | bone scan; cardiac calcification; oncology (e.g. prostate cancer bone metastasis) |
| [18F]FLT | Thymidine (nucleoside analog) | Proliferation; nucleoside metabolism (e.g. oncology, immunology) |
| [18F]FAC (and analogs) | Deoxycytidine (nucleoside analog) | Immunology (e.g. adaptive immune response; immunotherapies) oncology (e.g. treatment stratification of nucleoside analog prodrugs) |
| [18F]clofarabine | Purine (nucleoside analog | Immunology; oncology |
| [18F]AraG | Guanosine (nucleoside analog) | Immunology; oncology |
| [18F]FHBG, FEAU, L-FMAU, FIAU (and analogs) | Guanosine (nucieoside analog) | Immunology; oncology |
| [18F]FDHT | Testosterone | Oncology (prostate cancer) |
| [18F]FDOPA | Amino acid (phenylalanine) | Neuroscience (dopaminergic) oncology: brain tumors |
| [18F]fallypride | Dopamine receptor antagonist | Neuroscience (dopaminergic) |
| [18F]FDDNP | Ammonia | Routinely for clinical imaging: neurology (e.g., Alzheimer's disease) |
| [11C]acetate | Acetate | Oncology (prostate cancer) fatty acid synthesis |
| ImmunoPET (various radioisotopes) | Full antibodies and antibody fragments | Oncology, immunology, cell surface targets |
| [68Ga]DOTA-TOC | Somatostatin analogs | Oncology (e.g., neuroendocrine tumors) |
| [68Ga]DOTA-NOC | Somatostatin analogs | Oncology (e.g., neuroendocrine tumors) |
| [11C]choline | Choline | Oncology (prostate cancer) |
| [11C]L-glutamine | Glutamine | Oncology; glutamine metabolism |
| [18F]fluorobenzyl triphenylphosphonium ([18F]FBnTP) | Mitohondrial membrane potential | Oncology |
| [18F]florbetaben | Amyloid | Neuroscience |
Protein/Peptide Labeling
| Name | Group | Labeling |
|---|---|---|
| [18F]SFB | Prosthetic group | Peptide/protein labeling |
| [18F]FBAM | Prosthetic group | Peptide/protein labeling |
| [18F]FBEM | Prosthetic group | Peptide/protein labeling |
| [18F]fluorobenzaldehyde | Prosthetic group | Peptide/protein labeling |
| [18F]fluoroethyl-PEG3-azide | Prosthetic group | Peptide/protein labeling |
Other Isotopes Can be Purchased from External Groups for Use at the SAISR
Imaging
89-zirconium (89Zr) – 3D Imaging; Washington University St Louis
64-copper (64Cu) – Washington University St Louis
86-yttrium (86Y) – Washington University St Louis
124-iodine (124I) – 3D Imaging
Radiotherapy
177-lutetium (177Lu) – Oak Ridge National Laboratory
90-yttrium (90Y) – Perkin Elmer
111-indium (111In) – Nordion
125-iodine (126I) – Perkin Elmer
131-iodine (131I) – Perkin Elmer