Speaker: Dr. Freek J. Beekman, Associate Professor with the Image Sciences Institute, University Medical Center, Utrecht, The Netherlands

Title: U-SPECT: Ultra-high resolution focusing pinhole SPECT providing movies of molecules and organs in action

Pivotal questions in pharmacology and biology concern how functions of cells relates to disease. For example in experimental neuropharmacology we have dreamt about a window that would allow us to see neurotransmitters in action, and about animals serving as models for human psychiatric disease. Analysis of animal models has been limited by the availability of methods to study such molecular dynamics. Now, a Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography system called U-SPECT can quantify tracer dynamics in sub-mm structures e.g. in murine brain, heart and bone. Examples include imaging the density and occupancy of dopamine transporters in sub-compartments of the brain, dynamic perfusion imaging in tiny parts of the beating myocardium or imaging of tumor markers in micro-metastasis, all during a range of points in time. Applied to different models of disease this will aid the understanding of dynamic processes that underlie tissue functions and human pathology. Examples will be given and physics research on improving the U-SPECT technology will be discussed.

References:

1. F.J. Beekman and F van der Have. "The Pinhole: gateway to ultra-high resolution three-dimensional radionuclide imaging", Eur. J. Nucl. Med. Mol. Im, 4(2):151-61, 2007
2. B Vastenhouw et al. Movies of dopamine transporter occupancy with ultra-high resolution focusing pinhole SPECT. Mol. Psych., 2007
3. B. Vastenhouw and F.J. Beekman, "Total Body Murine Imaging with the U-SPECT-I". J. Nucl. Med., 48(3):487-493, 2007
4. S.R. Meikle, F.J. Beekman and S.E. Rose "Complementary Molecular Imaging Technologies: High resolution SPECT, PET and MRI" (review). Drug Discovery Today: Technology. 3(2): 187-194, 2006
5. F.J. Beekman et al. "U-SPECT-I: A novel system for submillimeter-resolution Tomography with radiolabeled molecules in mice", J. Nucl. Med., vol. 46, pp. 1194-1200, 2005.
6. www.milabs.com