NYU Researchers Expand MRI to Molecular Imaging
Dr. Dan Turnbull obtains consent from a study subject
In the rapidly advancing world of radiological sciences, the newest frontier is molecular imaging — quite literally, the extension of traditional anatomic imaging methods for the in vivo detection of specific cells and disease processes based on individual molecular signatures. Molecular imaging is hardly a new concept; indeed, histological optical imaging of tissues, using antibody staining designed to reveal specific cellular proteins, has a history stretching back more than half a century, and nuclear medicine imaging approaches such as SPECT and PET have utilized the same basic concepts to perform in vivo molecular imaging for over a decade. A current challenge is to translate these successes into cellular imaging strategies for MRI, taking advantage of its high spatial resolution and global availability. In pursuit of the next generation of imaging approaches, researchers at NYU are at the forefront of molecular MRI development. The success of MR molecular imaging critically depends on the creation of novel paramagnetic contrast agents, targeted to specific cellular proteins expressed by cancerous cells, neurodegenerative disorders, and cardiovascular diseases. As described in an accompanying article by Edwin Wang, M.D., the fabrication and testing of these targeted contrast agents are being facilitated by multidisciplinary collaborations involving researchers with a wide range of expertise in chemistry, molecular biology, and radiology. At NYU, most of these collaborations find their roots in the Molecular Imaging and Contrast Agent (MICA) discussion group, initiated and organized by Jens Jensen, Ph.D., in the Department of Radiology, and James Canary, Ph.D., in the Department of Chemistry. This forum, held each month at venues alternating between the Center for Biomedical Imaging (CBI) at the School of Medicine and the Silver Center at Washington Square, brings together a growing assembly of NYU investigators for lively and productive discussion sessions on a broad range of topics, covering everything from combinatorial chemistry to human brain imaging. The common goal of these conversations is the formulation of effective MR strategies focused on in vivo molecular imaging.
The emphasis at NYU on MR is logical, reflecting the research and clinical strength of the institution. In addition to the multitude of clinical MRI systems at NYU Medical Center, NYU has a suite of high field research magnets at the CBI under the direction of Joseph Helpern, Ph.D. The CBI has two 3 Tesla (T) scanners and a wholebody 7T human scanner, one of only a handful of such systems in the country. Plans are in place to build a molecular imaging program, which will include installation of a 7T small-animal scanner, enabling translational research from the animal to the human. Ongoing studies range from the testing of contrast agents and preclinical imaging in rodents, to clinical trials in human subjects, on systems operating at the same magnetic field strength. Other research magnets at NYU include a 3T system for human and primate brain imaging under the direction of Souheil Inati, Ph.D., at the Center for Neural Science; a 7T system for imaging mice, directed by Daniel Turnbull, Ph.D., at the Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine; and three additional research magnets for human and animal imaging at the Center for Advanced Brain Imaging at the NYU-affiliated Nathan Kline Institute in Orangeburg, NY. Most significant in this endeavor is the recruitment of faculty and establishment of research groups energizing these investigations. The Department of Radiology, under the leadership of Louis Marx Professor and Chairman Robert I. Grossman, M.D., has rapidly expanded the number of research MRI faculty and has integrated these new faculty members into collaborative relationships with the basic science programs through initiatives such as the MICA group. NYU Radiology appreciates the potential importance of molecular imaging and is committing the requisite resources to become a leader in the emerging field of molecular MRI.
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