Small Animal Imaging

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: 310-794-2224; [email protected]
Arion Chatziioannou: 310-825-7877
Shili Xu: 310-825-7137

Websites

Preclinical Imaging Technology Center: Go to website
Crump Institute for Molecular Imaging: Go to website

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

In vivo 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
• Whole body imaging of targeted radiopharmaceuticals
• Simultaneous multi-isotope imaging
• 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 

1. Routine productions of established PET tracers
2. Novel PET tracer consultation and development
3. Biologics radiolabeling
4. Toxicology of new PET tracers for IND submission (through UCLA DLAM)
5. Imaging-based pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics studies
6. Radiotherapeutic labeling (e.g. Lu-177, Y-90) and efficacy studies 
7. PET tracer whole body biodistribution and dosimetry
8. PET tracer metabolite analysis
9. In vivo and ex vivo biodistribution studies of imaging agents
10. In vitro binding and uptake assays (e.g. radiolabeled PET tracers; fluorescent biomarkers)
11. In vitro and ex vivo (tissue or whole body) autoradiography
12. Quantitative image analysis and training
13. Image data processing and 2D slice or 3D volume renderings
14. DICOM formatting and archiving
15. 3D printing of CT-scanned objects
16. Rodent tail vein i.v. injection of experimental agents and cells

Operations

• New investigators can contact the SAISR at [email protected] 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

List of Available PET Tracers

Protein/Peptide 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