Molecular Imaging and Translational Research
Program
The Molecular Imaging
and Translational Research (MITR) Program, previously known as the
Cancer Imaging and Tracer Development Research Program (CITDRP),
was established at the University of Tennessee Medical Center in
Knoxville, Tennessee in February 2003 under the direction of David
Townsend, PhD. Complementing Positron Emission Tomography (PET)
initiatives at UT Medical Center since the early nineties and benefiting
from the support of nearby CTI Molecular Imaging, the recognized
world leader in PET technology and innovation based in Knoxville,
the mission of the MITR Program is to create a world-class center
for translational research using molecular imaging. The establishment
of the CITDRP at the University of Tennessee was the inspiration
of Ron Nutt, PhD, formerly President and CEO of CTI Molecular Imaging
in Knoxville. The program name was changed to Molecular Imaging
and Translational Research (MITR) in January 2007 to more accurately
reflect the diversity of program research. The molecular imaging
research program involves clinical research studies such as assessement
of chemotherapy response in non small cell lung cancer, evaluation
of PET/CT in the management of patients with oral head and neck
cancer and the study of vulnerable atherosclerosis plaques.
The translational research program addresses the development of
new molecular biomarkers, evaluation of such biomarkers in appropriate
animal models, and their subsequent introduction into the clinical
arena for patient imaging. The MITR Program is based within the
UT Graduate School of Medicine with faculty members holding appointments
in the Departments of Medicine and Radiology.
The Program
The program is organized
into three principal components: Physics and Methodology, Radiopharmaceutical
Development, and Applications for both animals and humans. The Physics
and Methodology component is directed by Dr. Townsend who is responsible
for a number of PET instrumentation and methodology projects. The methodology group includes Bjoern Jakoby, MS, (PhD Candidate), Cristina Lois Gomez, PhD, and Josh Schaefferkoetter, BS.
George Kabalka , PhD heads
the radiotracer and biomarker development. This research is supported by organic chemist
Wenbin Zeng, PhD, and molecular biologist Weimin Miao, PhD.
The new, $600,000 pre-clinical
imaging facility is headed by Jon Wall, PhD, Director, Amyloid and
Preclinical Imaging Laboratory. The facility has four scanning suites
with PET and SPECT/CT imaging capability, animal holding rooms and
laboratory workspace. This research is supported by radio biochemist, Steve Kennel, PhD and Technologist, Alan Stuckey, who
operates the imaging devices and manages the facility. The
pre-clinical imaging program involves close collaboration with the
UT College of Veterinary Medicine and the Amyloid Imaging Program
of Alan Solomon, MD and Jon Wall, PhD. Establishing a strong animal
imaging initiative for translational research is an essential part
of the MITR Program mission. Collaboration with oncologist Amy LeBlanc, DVM, from the UT College
of Veterinary Medicine plays an instrumental role in meeting this
goal by bridging the gap in translational research between micro
imaging of small animal models and the imaging of clinical patients
and can only be undertaken in an academic environment that includes
a high-level veterinary college such as the one at UT.
In addition to these pre-clinical
imaging facilities, a state-of-the-art high resolution 6-slice PET/CT
scanner with an advanced design offering improved sensitivity for
PET imaging has been installed in the Cancer Institute at the Medical
Center . This scanner is part of an NIH-funded collaborative initiative
with Siemens Molecular Imaging. The scanner is used for both
routine clinical and clinical research studies.
Operational aspects of
the PET/CT research program are the responsibility of technologist
Misty Long, RT(N)(R) and Chris Carr, RT(R), CNMT as the lead technologist
responsible for operation of the scanner for clinical PET/CT studies.
All administrative aspects are managed by Pam Trentham. The
primary focus of the MITR Program is the imaging of cancer , with
a current workload of 5-7 clinical PET/CT scans per day and 2-3
research studies per week. However, the importance of PET imaging
in other areas of clinical research is demonstrated by on-going
projects in both cardiology with the collaboration of Woody Besozzi,
MD, and in neuroscience with John Dougherty, MD. Current research projects in molecular imaging include monitoring
response to chemotherapy with medical oncologist Wahid Hanna, MD,
and staging head and neck cancer prior to surgery in collaboration
with surgeon Eric Carlson, DMD, MD, FACS .
Research Objectives
Immediate research objectives
in PET instrumentation include advances in PET/CT methodology and
the assessment of the role of combined PET/CT imaging for a range
of different cancers. This work with human subjects will be complemented
by parallel studies involving specific animal models of cancer,
and eventually the development of new molecular probes that target
different aspects of tumor physiology and the effects of therapy
in patients
Started at UT in 2003,
the Molecular Imaging and Translational Research Program is now
well-established and is expanding to contribute to other areas of
research in which PET and PET/CT can play a significant role.
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