Enhancing USU Research Technologies BRIC by BRIC

The Biomedical Research Imaging Core (BRIC) at the Uniformed Services University (USU), an advanced imaging center, is dedicated to elevating the quality of preclinical research.

August 8, 2024 by Vivian Mason

With the increasing need for using biomedical imaging in research, it's important to emphasize the value of noninvasive imaging, especially when studying small research models like rats and mice. These studies help connect what we learn at the cellular level with practical applications in science and medicine.

Biomedical imaging, spanning a spectrum of radiation techniques, is at the forefront of medical research. The Biomedical Research Imaging Core (BRIC) at the Uniformed Services University (USU), an advanced imaging center, is dedicated to elevating the quality of preclinical research. It achieves this by providing state-of-the-art advanced imaging techniques and pioneering novel methods for imaging and post-processing.

Originally established as part of the former USU Center for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine under the name "Translational Image Facility," BRIC underwent a significant transformation in the fall of 2020. It was realigned to the USU School of Medicine's Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences. BRIC now offers cutting-edge imaging technologies, high-end instrumentation, and invaluable technical and scientific design support to cater to the diverse needs of researchers.

"This facility is committed to enhancing and expanding the collaborative research capabilities at USU. Although we still engage in neuroscience, we now have a broad mission to bring imaging to any researcher in any organ system," emphasizes Dr. Maureen Hood, the director of BRIC and an assistant professor within the Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences. Furthermore, Hood adds, "We're all working together to let the university and investigators know that we exist. Anyone can come and talk with us. BRIC can help researchers figure out a way to best utilize its resources. We want to help them design the right type of research experiments that will give them the best chance to obtain grant funding and meet their research milestones. Many investigators have heard of the modalities, but they don't really understand what they can do."

Imaging techniques allow researchers to test therapies and compounds intended for clinical use. These methods enable the monitoring of disease progression and provide mechanisms for tracking various disease phenomena over time, often using techniques similar to those available for human patients. Hood highlights its importance, stating, "It's simply about trying to obtain information that cannot be obtained in other ways." While blood samples can be periodically collected to monitor health over time, imaging provides a deeper insight into the body's organs and potential pathology that cannot be detected through blood tests. Additionally, imaging serves as a high throughput, cost-effective method (depending on the modality) for assessing normal tissue and organ function, understanding disease processes, and evaluating new therapies.

Imaging modalities can be divided into several basic categories: anatomic, functional, and molecular. The best known anatomic imaging modalities include x-ray; computed tomography (CT), which is basically a type of three-dimensional x-ray; magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which is best for soft-tissue analysis; and ultrasound, which is used for imaging blood flow, cardiac activity, etc.

Molecular imaging includes nuclear medicine with positron emission tomography (PET) and single photon emission computerized tomography (SPECT), optical imaging, and certain types of MRI. Many imaging modalities have capabilities to provide functional imaging, with MRI, PET, and CT being the most commonly used. All of the modalities provide certain types of quantitative data that can be utilized to make comparisons that are important for research.

BRIC consists of experienced imaging scientists who also perform independent and collaborative research. Services include study design; data acquisition, analysis, and interpretation; research proposal planning; advanced post-processing; research guidance and advice; grant development; and individualized instrument training.

BRIC makes available to its users a comprehensive spectrum of popular imaging modalities, each with its own intrinsic advantages and limitations. BRIC has actively collaborated on a diverse array of research projects, including those related to traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, orthopedic injuries, cancer, heart disease, and radiation exposure. These collaborations encompass studies with both single time point observations and longitudinal therapeutic investigations. Hood expresses her enthusiasm for the versatile capabilities of the equipment available at BRIC, "This is why I'm excited about the equipment we have here. We have the ability to image over time to follow the progress of the disease and/or effectiveness of treatments."

Optical imaging emerges as the preclinical modality of choice on a global scale, offering cost-effectiveness, high throughput, and user-friendliness. At USU, optical imaging is gaining momentum, enabling researchers to simultaneously and rapidly image multiple animals. Trained users can efficiently manage image acquisition and data interpretation, making it an attractive option. In contrast, MRI is currently the most sought-after imaging modality, whether for human subjects or preclinical investigations. Both human and preclinical MRI scans demand substantial planning, highly trained personnel, and adherence to strict safety protocols. Nevertheless, the rewards include unparalleled visibility within the body, allowing for a variety of tissue characterizations and anatomical visualization from multiple angles.

BRIC's optical imaging scanner has CT capability, which provides a three-dimensional depiction of the skeleton so that users can localize where the bioluminescent or fluorescent (BLI or FLI) signals are located. Popular uses for optical imaging include infectious disease, cell viability and proliferation, oncology, and drug development.

"We also have a PET/SPECT/CT scanner," says Hood. "It's a more molecular way of doing imaging that's based on radiotracers and how different metabolites can be lit up in the body. For example, if you want to look at inflammation, there's a glucose type of tracer that will pick up those active areas of inflammation. There are also specialized tracers that can look at diseases (e.g., Alzheimer's disease)."

Scanners such as the PET/SPECT/CT are referred to as multimodality imaging devices designed to provide complementary information on pathophysiology and anatomy. Multimodality imaging and fusion imaging (combining image sets from different scanners, such as MRI and PET) have gained in popularity and help to broaden research in many areas.

There is also a standalone, in vivo CT scanner used for looking at bony issues and lung issues. Reveals Hood, "That's one of the scanners that we train researchers how to use so that they can operate it themselves." Besides the in vivo CT, we have an ex vivo, high-resolution CT tissue scanner that can hold tissue samples. This scanner can obtain very high-resolution images (down to 1 micron in resolution) that can image the tiny structures (e.g., the blood vessels) in a mouse brain or the trabeculae in bone.

"The MAGNUS is our human research MRI scanner located at Walter Reed," says Hood, "where we have been collaborating with GE Global Research." It has a high-end gradient package that allows for higher resolution imaging at 3 Tesla. "We're seeing brain structures that we've never seen before." Hood explains further, "We're trying to integrate some of our research for MRI imaging that we've been developing on the MAGNUS to bring it back to the preclinical side so that we can better validate those new sequences that we're doing. We think having both preclinical and clinical scanners for research make for a better way to conduct translational research."

She adds, "I'm a big believer that preclinical science needs imaging just as clinical science needs imaging. It makes sense that if we want to move from preclinical to clinical research with better translation, then we need to be doing imaging."

Dr. Hood underscores the ongoing upgrades to equipment at BRIC due to the rapid expansion in the field of preclinical imaging. The team has also expanded by welcoming more physicists on board, thereby bolstering the inventory of high-end equipment at BRIC. Additionally, BRIC has initiated collaborations with the University of Minnesota, renowned for its expertise in MRI imaging, with a focus on joint grant initiatives. "We want to collaborate with them because we want to trade ideas and work together on different kinds of research. Our unique MAGNUS 3T MRI, combined with our 7T preclinical MRI scanner, give us the capabilities to perform advanced brain imaging that is desirable for collaborations with other organizations."