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Posted: Thu Apr 27, 2006 2:53 pm Post subject: 12 tesla MRI
I guess this will help with MS research.
OHSU Joins The NIH In Obtaining A "two-of-a-kind" MRI Magnet
27 Apr 2006 - As OHSU's new Advanced Imaging Research Center (AIRC) continues its expansion, the major component of the final, and most unique instrument for the world-class facility has arrived. On Saturday, April 22, the AIRC took delivery of a 12Tesla (T) magnet, the centerpiece of a rare and cutting-edge MRI system.
"This state-of-the-art 12T system will provide some of the clearest, and likely some of the most useful, images in the history of MRI science," explained Charles Springer, Ph.D., AIRC director and professor of physiology and pharmacology in the OHSU School of Medicine. Springer also serves as a professor of biomedical engineering at OHSU and is a member of the OHSU Cancer Institute. His arrival, along with the establishment of the AIRC, took place through the Oregon Opportunity, a public-private partnership to increase the health and economic benefits of OHSU research for all Oregonians.
The 12T instrument with a magnetic field 120,000 times stronger than that of the Earth was purchased with assistance from a $1.75 million grant provided by the W. M. Keck Foundation. This is the third MRI magnet delivery for OHSU this year. In early January, a 3T magnet was lifted by crane into OHSU's new Biomedical Research Building, the primary home of the AIRC. In late January, OHSU received delivery of a 60 ton, 7T magnet. The extreme size and weight of this piece of equipment, paired with its fragility, resulted in a precise initial positioning that lasted three days. By comparison, the 12T magnet weighs approximately 12 tons (24,000 lbs). However, the magnetic field that will be generated is one of the strongest in the world for a magnet of this relatively large physical size. The inner diameter of its horizontal cylindrical bore is 31 centimeters. In fact, the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md. -- the base of operations for federally funded health research -- is currently the only other site in the world for a 12T MRI system of this size. Both of OHSU's 12T and 7T systems will be housed in the W. M. Keck Foundation High-Field Laboratory within the AIRC.
"It will be exciting to watch the wonderful science that is sure to emerge from such an outstanding team of researchers doing experiments with this very unique 12T MR system," said Michael Garwood, Ph.D. Who serves as the associate director of the Center for Magnetic Resonance Research at the University of Minnesota, a national leader in imaging technology and expertise. "The possibility to conduct experiments at 12T will certainly lead to important discoveries and to an expansion of MRI's role in assessing functional and molecular properties of diseases non-invasively."
Once in operation, the 12T will be used for a variety of human health studies in rodents including research into neurological disorders such as multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's and stroke. For instance, William Rooney, Ph.D., a staff scientist at the AIRC will measure water movement in the brain. These studies will assist in a greater understanding of the development of brain tumors and diseases like MS.
"Using a dyeing agent, lower field instruments have allowed us to witness the progression of MS," explained Rooney. "Specifically, we've been able to see the development of brain lesions associated with disease. With a cutting-edge, high-field MRI system, we will both literally and figuratively get a much clearer picture of what is going on in the brain. This technology will provide us with a powerful noninvasive window into the brain and allow us to explore unique aspects of disease."
Research conducted by OHSU's internationally recognized Blood-Brain Barrier Program will also greatly benefit by the arrival of the 12T magnet. The blood-brain barrier is a natural protector that prevents toxins from circulating into the brain. The barrier also plays a role in the delicate balance of pressure in the brain. A better understanding of the barrier is necessary for improving chemotherapy for brain tumors. In addition, it is believed that the barrier has a significant role in neurological diseases such as MS.
The director of OHSU's Blood Brain Barrier Program, Edward Neuwelt, M.D., and his colleagues have also designed new methods for highlighting white blood cells in the brain so that they may be seen by MRI. Given that white blood cells play a very important role in the body's immune system, gaining new knowledge about their impacts on the brain could be significant in a variety of ways.
Springer and his colleagues will be involved in many of these studies, including research aimed at gaining new understanding of stroke in studies conducted using the 12T magnet. Substance and alcohol abuse studies by OHSU researchers will also be greatly aided by the addition of the 12T system.
I guess the 12 tesla MRI machines are for research on cell cultures, not on whole bodies, but these 7 tesla machines sound like they are for scanning people, not petrie dishes...
Philips extends global leadership in ultra high-field MR with 7.0T whole body scanner research contracts
5/9/2006 - BIOWIRE - Royal Philips Electronics today announced it has been awarded two contracts to supply Philips Achieva 7.0T (Tesla) magnetic resonance (MR) whole body research systems to Leiden University Medical Center and University Medical Center Utrecht. These new systems, the first 7.0T MR systems in the Netherlands, will support the establishment of a national Virtual Institute for Seven Tesla Applications (VISTA), a partnership with Dutch universities for the exploration of the clinical benefits of ultra high field MR.
The Philips Achieva 7.0T (Tesla is the measure of magnetic field strength, which influences resolution and image quality) is capable of producing an excellent level of imaging detail allowing clinical researchers to improve their understanding of physiology and cognitive processes of the brain and of neurological diseases, such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Epilepsy and Multiple Sclerosis, with excellent accuracy. Researchers at participating Dutch universities and Philips Medical Systems will collaborate with VISTA to develop ideas and share information through annual workshops, forums, panels and internet communications that will further advance applications of this new medical technology.
"The advanced capability of the Philips Achieva 7.0Tesla MR research system will enable us to increase our knowledge and understanding of some of medicine's most challenging areas," said Peter Luyten, senior MR researcher at the University Medical Center Utrecht. "Although ultra high-field MR research is still in its early stages, it is already clear that it could help provide significant insights into the diagnosis, intervention and treatment of degenerative neurological diseases. And ultimately many new applications outside the brain will become possible by means of this new technology platform as well."
"Our intention is that VISTA will become a global center of excellence for ultra high-field MR research, capitalizing on expertise from within the Netherlands as well as attracting researchers from across the world that will lead to innovations that will have direct clinical benefits," continued Luyten.
"Dedicated research institutes like VISTA will give researchers access to MR technology that has previously been unattainable and will help build on the promising results that this technology has already shown," said Dr. Jacques Coumans, PhD, vice president global marketing, MR, for Philips Medical Systems. "Improvements in our knowledge of 7.0T MR technology will also have benefits for all of Philips MR systems, including our Achieva 3.0Tesla and 1.5Tesla clinical MR systems, through the trickle-down effect of ultra high-field gradient and RF innovations and by helping improve results and discover new applications for these lower Tesla systems."
Philips is currently the only company to have a fully operational 7.0T MR whole body research system for clinical research in a corporate environment at its facility in Cleveland. It is also working in partnerships with some of the world's leading medical research centers on the development of the Philips 7.0T MR program including Ohio State University and Vanderbilt University in the USA, the University of Nottingham in the UK and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zurich). This program is focused on pushing the development of 7.0T innovations, in partnership with researchers and clinicians, and migrating these advances to routine clinical applications.
The commonly used field strength of clinical MR is 1.5T with higher-performance 3.0T systems becoming increasingly popular. Philips leadership in 3.0T high-field MR system is strengthened by developing fully operational 7.0T systems which will enhance MR knowledge and directly benefit and advance ultra high-field MR applications currently in clinical use.
Interesting post over at Accelerated Cure. Seems like it would support MS being a constantly inflammatory disease and explain the progression/changes between relapses. Perhaps the vascular cells have a lower threshold to damage then neurons.
Joined: May 04, 2006 Posts: 3402 Location: Mid-Michigan
Posted: Wed Jun 25, 2008 7:54 pm Post subject:
Thanks for the heads up rainer. I haven't had a chance to read it yet, but you might find this http://tinyurl.com/6f5sx6 interesting.
Bob _________________ Wife diagnosed with MS in Feb. 2006 and is a participant in the Tovaxin IIb clinical trial.
For about 6 or 7 years I have had a feeling of pressure in my head that no one has been able to explain and I wonder if it is related to vascular abnormalities in my head that go undetected in MRI machines or scanners.
Nice, Bob, didn't know it was available online. Very interesting line in the conclusion (albeit difficult to parse):
"We suggest that these small lesions represent an early stage of MS plaque development, marked by beginnings of transendothelial migration of vascular inflammatory cells of lymphocytes and macrophages without apparent blood-brain barrier breakdown."
So how theoretically would inflammation occur before a BBB breakdown? Are there immune cells available to the CNS before a breakdown? Or can some immune cells enter before its considered a "breakdown"?
Joined: May 04, 2006 Posts: 3402 Location: Mid-Michigan
Posted: Thu Jun 26, 2008 2:01 pm Post subject:
rainer wrote:
Nice, Bob, didn't know it was available online.
Well, actually it involves copyright infringement on my part, but who is this information more important to and who can least afford access to articles than people with MS? With that in mind, I'll have to sever the link to the article in a day or so.
rainer wrote:
So how theoretically would inflammation occur before a BBB breakdown? Are there immune cells available to the CNS before a breakdown? Or can some immune cells enter before its considered a "breakdown"?
Just thinking aloud...
Just thinking aloud on this end too but my guess is that immune cells have access before the breakdown of the bbb AND I've read articles/hypothesis to that effect ie...that aspects of the immune system have legitimate access to the interior of the bbb in a properly working immune system.
Bob _________________ Wife diagnosed with MS in Feb. 2006 and is a participant in the Tovaxin IIb clinical trial.
Just trying to wrap my head around cerebrovascular lesions (pun intended)... I wonder how this factors into: statins as treatment, Alzheimer's connections, and even surgical procedures. I may have to email one of these researchers.
"We suggest that these small lesions represent an early stage of MS plaque development, marked by beginnings of transendothelial migration of vascular inflammatory cells of lymphocytes and macrophages without apparent blood-brain barrier breakdown."
Does this bring us back to our old friend c pneumoniae?
Quote:
Infection of Human Endothelial Cells with Chlamydia pneumoniae Stimulates Transendothelial Migration of Neutrophils and Monocytes
"We suggest that these small lesions represent an early stage of MS plaque development, marked by beginnings of transendothelial migration of vascular inflammatory cells of lymphocytes and macrophages without apparent blood-brain barrier breakdown."
Does this bring us back to our old friend c pneumoniae?
Quote:
Infection of Human Endothelial Cells with Chlamydia pneumoniae Stimulates Transendothelial Migration of Neutrophils and Monocytes
"Platelets are significantly activated in MS patients. The mechanisms underlying this activation and its significance to MS are unknown. Additional study of platelet activation and function in MS patients is warranted."
From what I understand, "platelet activation" is a fancy way of saying blood clotting. This leads backs to Statins in a couple short steps.
... can't believe there is a journal dedicated to neuroinflammation, I'd think 90% of the articles would have to be about MS
Two events in my history come to mind.
One was pre-diagnosis. I was about to give blood to the red cross. They did a coagulation test of some sort where they dropped my blood into liquid. It congealed and dropped like a rock. Wow. The lady was stunned and commented on how quickly it did. I have always been low on iron, yet the lady said no sign of that- more like a man.
After diagnosis, I cut the back of my hand badly when I dropped a big bowl on my counter and it, broken, bounced back up. The back of my hand was cut all the way to the vein. I bandaged it and waited a day or two before my son talked me into having it looked at. The doc was surprised at the deepness of the cut, yet barely any bleeding.
You know how you hold things in the back of your mind that you think have a link to the MS. These are def that for me.
Posted: Sat Jun 28, 2008 8:16 am Post subject: Insulin promotes blood clotting
Terry, insulin promotes blood clotting. Too bad your insulin level was not checked by your physician at the time of your accident; I'll bet it was elevated.
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