Richard Mazurchuk, PhD, Director, PIR
Joseph Spernyak, PhD, Assistant Director, PIR

Contact info:

Richard Mazurchuk Office: (716) 845-5839 Lab: (716) 845-8896 richard.mazurchuk@roswellpark.org

Equipment

• 4.7 T 33 cm wide bore small animal MR instrument (CSI Omega, GE Medical Systems), upgraded to AVANCE 4.0 OS platform in 2007 (Bruker Biospin MRI, Inc., Billerica, MA)
• Real-time fluorescence in vivo imaging system (Lightools, Research, Encinitas, CA)
• Multispectral fluorescence in vivo maging System (Maestro®, CRI, Boston, MA)

Description

PIR is a core facility specializing in imaging small animal models of disease. The PIR provides training, guidance, technical services, quantitative image analysis of digitally acquired data sets, multidimensional visualization of results and small animal imaging expertise. Services currently include state-of-the-art MR imaging, MR spectroscopy, whole body fluorescence imaging (FI), multispectral optical imaging, customized data analysis and visualization of structural/functional relationships in vivo.

Resource staff also facilitate multimodality imaging research through collaborative interactions with other core resources (e.g., confocal microscopy) or regionally available instrumentation (e.g., microPET imaging, SUNY Buffalo, Dept. of Nuclear Medicine).

The PIR offers turn-key and customized noninvasive imaging services developed for in vivo tumor characterization incorporating standard and non-standard MR imaging and spectroscopy techniques. For example, blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) functional MR (fMR) imaging techniques sensitive to changes in tumor oxygenation and microvascular status have been developed in-house and added to the growing arsenal of available tools to probe tumor physiology. Recently acquired whole body fluorescence in vivo imaging services offer investigators enhanced imaging sensitivity and specificity, real time visual analysis and low imaging cost per animal per time point – essential requisites for screening or phenotyping large cohorts of transgenic mice.

Noteworthy Accomplishments

Patents Filed Through the PIR

• Hybrid Inorganic Nanoparticles: Methods of Using and Methods of Making. Prasad PN, Mazurchuk R, Bharali DJ, Sukumaran DK, Bergey EJ, Spernayk J, Seshadri M. U.S. Patent Application No. #11/392,057. Filing Date: March 29th 2005.  
• Optimizing Cancer Therapeutic Strategies Through Tumor Vessel Maturation Caused By Selenium. Bhattacharya A, Tóth, K, Mazurchuk R, Spernyak JA, Rustum YM. U.S. Patent Application No. #60/785,935. Filing Date: March 24th 2006.
• Multi-DTPA Conjugated Tetrapyrollic Compounds for Phototherapeutic Contrast Agents. Pandey RK, Goswami L, Spernyak JA, Kanter P, Mazurchuk R. U.S. Patent Application No. #11/479,524 Filing Date: June 30th 2006.

Cover Art

• March 2005 Clinical Cancer Research
• March 2007 Journal of Biological Chemistry

Locations

• 4.7 T MR Imaging System: Cancer Cell Center - Ground Floor, Room CCC164
• Fluorescence Imaging Systems: Cancer Cell Center - Ground Floor, Room CCC164

Using the Facility

Investigators should contact Dr. Mazurchuk regarding the design, implementation and use of MRI/MRS as a research tool for clinical and basic science studies.

Services

Both structural and functional data acquisitions

• Diagnostic MR Imaging Services: 1D, 2D and 3D acquisitions including spin echo (SE), gradient echo (GRE) and echo planar based methods
• Functional MR Imaging Services: fMR of tumors for assessment of microvasculature, blood level oxygenation dependent (BOLD) imaging, perfusion weighted imaging, diffusion weighted imaging, and heteronuclear MRS
• In Vivo Fluorescence Imaging: Multispectral and in vivo fluorescence imaging of GFP, RFP or other fluorescent probes and transgenic animals metabolically altered to express flourescence
• 2D and 3D Data Analysis: Post-Image Acquisition Processing and 3-D Visualization of digital data sets (any modality): analysis packages include ANALYZE, Paravision, America, several proprietary software packages, Interactive Data Languages (IDL), etc.

Scheduling and Additional Information

Investigators should contact Dr. Mazurchuk for details.

Billing Procedure

Investigators will be billed at an hourly rate according to use and supplies.