Establishment of new UK/Canada Collaboration towards the Advancement of Magnetic Particle Imaging (MPI)

英国/加拿大建立新的合作关系以推动磁粒子成像 (MPI) 的发展

• 批准号: MR/Y033795/1
• 负责人: Marco Giardiello
• 金额: $ 0.6万
• 依托单位: University of Liverpool
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Research Grant
• 财政年份: 2024
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2024 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=MR%2FY033795%2F1
• 关键词: Establishment; new; UK; Canada; Collaboration

The intention for this research exchange is to provide unique knowledge exchange and expertise around Magnetic Particle Imaging (MPI). MPI is a new, emerging imaging modality which detects nanomolar concentrations of Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticle (SPION) tracers in vivo. The University of Liverpool (UoL) recently installed the Momentum MPI Scanner from Magnetic Insight inc. (August 2023) following successful EPSRC Strategic Award funding; the first in the UK and one of only 12 worldwide. This includes the lab at the University of Western Ontario (UWO), who installed the equivalent system in 2019. The laboratory at UWO is world renowned for pioneering research in in vivo cell tracking studies and is an early contributor to the advancement and implementation of MPI for regenerative medicine investigation.The fundamental methodology of MPI is to detect the non-linear response of SPIONs under application of a sinusoidal drive magnetic field. The technique employs a non-uniform field distribution to define an image voxel, known as the Field-Free Point (FFP). SPION tracers are imaged directly, which allows for highly sensitive, quantitative detection with no background signal. Thus, MPI is a powerful, innovative technology for cell tracking studies enabling quantitative assessment of transplanted labelled cell therapies, providing real-time biodistribution and safety information in areas of the body where other imaging modalities fail.Importantly, the optimal SPION tracer for MPI is still unknown; to date, expensive commercial materials that were developed for use in MRI are the main tracers employed for MPI use across all in vitro and in vivo studies. Furthermore, as global access to MPI equipment to date has been rare, there is no defined analytical protocol for measurement employed across all research groups. This will become of increasing importance as global access to equipment grows and research output accelerates. The aim for this exchange is to develop research synergies between material science and physics groups at UoL with biological application research at UWO towards: - Optimal SPION tracer development - Standardised data analysis and quantification - Cross-disciplinary knowledge exchangeThe UoL group comprises materials chemistry focused on SPION synthesis specifically designed for MPI. The UWO group is the reverse and is composed of biophysicists using commercial materials for MPI predominantly for cell tracking studies. Universal standardised data analysis and quantification through co-operative development and demonstration between the two research groups will allow for MPI as an emerging technology to accelerate through common analytical practice. Likewise, co-operative SPION synthesis will develop optimal SPIONs specific for MPI in and regenerative medicine applications.

此次研究交流的目的是提供有关磁粒子成像 (MPI) 的独特知识交流和专业知识。 MPI 是一种新兴的成像方式，可检测体内纳摩尔浓度的超顺磁性氧化铁纳米颗粒 (SPION) 示踪剂。利物浦大学 (UoL) 最近安装了 Magnetic Insight inc. 的 Momentum MPI 扫描仪。 （2023 年 8 月）继成功获得 EPSRC 战略奖资助后；英国第一家，也是全球仅有的 12 家之一。其中包括西安大略大学 (UWO) 的实验室，该实验室于 2019 年安装了等效系统。UWO 的实验室因体内细胞追踪研究的开创性研究而闻名于世，并且是 MPI 进步和实施的早期贡献者MPI 的基本方法是检测 SPION 在正弦驱动磁场作用下的非线性响应。该技术采用非均匀场分布来定义图像体素，称为无场点 (FFP)。 SPION 示踪剂直接成像，可实现高灵敏度、无背景信号的定量检测。因此，MPI 是一种用于细胞追踪研究的强大创新技术，能够对移植的标记细胞疗法进行定量评估，在其他成像方式无法实现的身体区域提供实时生物分布和安全信息。重要的是，MPI 的最佳 SPION 示踪剂是仍然未知；迄今为止，为 MRI 使用而开发的昂贵商业材料是 MPI 在所有体外和体内研究中使用的主要示踪剂。此外，由于迄今为止全球范围内使用 MPI 设备的情况很少，因此所有研究小组都没有明确的测量分析协议。随着全球设备使用量的增加和研究成果的加速，这一点将变得越来越重要。此次交流的目的是发展 UoL 材料科学和物理小组与 UWO 生物应用研究之间的研究协同效应： - 最佳 SPION 示踪剂开发 - 标准化数据分析和量化 - 跨学科知识交流 UoL 小组由材料化学组成，重点关注SPION 合成专为 MPI 设计。 UWO 小组则相反，由生物物理学家组成，使用 MPI 商业材料，主要用于细胞追踪研究。通过两个研究小组之间的合作开发和演示，通用标准化数据分析和量化将使 MPI 作为一项新兴技术通过共同的分析实践加速发展。同样，合作 SPION 合成将开发专门用于 MPI 和再生医学应用的最佳 SPION。