New magnet to sharpen imaging capabilities at VU
By Bill Snyder
June 3, 2010
The Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science has received a $3.45 million federal stimulus grant to purchase one of the world's strongest magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners.
The 15 Tesla scanner will be used in studies of genetically engineered mice and other small animal models to further understanding of cancer, diabetes and brain disorders in humans.
One Tesla is roughly 20,000 times the strength of the magnetic field of the earth. Because the 15 Tesla scanner is so mighty, it can generate exquisitely detailed images of the brain and other body structures, and measure minute levels of key compounds, including cancer “biomarkers.”
Since these imaging methods are non-invasive, they can be conducted repeatedly in living animals.
For these reasons, “magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy have become very powerful tools for studying … animal models of disease and effects of genetic manipulations,” said institute director John Gore, Ph.D.
The one-year stimulus grant to purchase the scanner was awarded through the National Center for Research Resources, part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
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