Molecular Imaging developing shared resource core

Mission

Molecular imaging is an increasingly central method in the effort to improve early detection of cancer, as well as for the development of intermediate end-points that allow monitoring of the effectiveness and target specificity of new treatment modalities. The Molecular Imaging developing shared resource core increases the ability of Massey investigators to translate pre-clinical concepts in detection and targeted therapy of cancer into animal model systems and, ultimately, into early phase clinical trials. It further provides them with expertise and instruments that facilitate direct, specific, and ultra-sensitive studies of molecular pathways in the in vivo environment. This developing core leverages multiple imaging technologies currently available within the VCU Center for Molecular Imaging.

Location and instrumentation

The Molecular Imaging offices are located in Sanger Hall, with supporting instrumentation located both in Sanger Hall and in the nearby Gateway building. Major instrumentation and available through the Molecular Imaging developing core includes:

• Seimens in vivo Animal PET Scanning Imager - allows rodent imaging of radiolabeled positron emission tomography molecules with a resolution of 1.5 – 2mm

• Leica CM 3600 whole animal and tissue cryomacrotome

• Fujifilm BAS-5000 Phosphorimager with 50 – 100µm resolution. These instruments allow ex vivo validation of in vivo PET imaging results.

• Bruker 7 Tesla Animal Magnetic Resonance Imager with 30cm bore (shown right).

• Caliper / Xenogen IVIS 200 Bioluminescence and Fluorescence Optical Imager.  Allows imaging of green fluorescent protein and luciferase expression in vivo in small animal models

Contact information

For further information regarding the Molecular Imaging developing shared resource, please contact the director, Dr. Jamal Zweit.

Jamal Zweit, Ph.D., D.Sc.
resource director
(804) 628-2791
jzweit@vcu.edu
 

 

 

Citation

All publications that include results, services or products generated by VCU Massey Cancer Center Shared Resources must include the following acknowledgement in the manuscript:

"Services and products in support of the research project were generated by the VCU Massey Cancer Center Molecular Imaging Shared Resource, supported, in part, with funding from NIH-NCI Cancer Center Support Grant P30 CA016059."