Preclinical Imaging Unit _IiSGM
The Preclinical Imaging Unit offers a portfolio of cutting-edge pre-clinical imaging services for small animals (7T magnetic resonance, PET/CT, SPECT, optical imaging and molecular probes laboratory). Also has extensive experience in the development of animal models of various pathologies (ischemia-reperfusion models, stroke, cardiac infarction, infectious, deep electrostimulation, etc.). The Unit holds the ISO 9001:2015 quality certificate.
Services
Imaging studies
• Magnetic resonance imaging: high-resolution ‘conventional’ anatomical imaging, spectroscopy, angiography, tissue perfusion, magnetization transfer, dynamic cardiac studies, etc.
• Nuclear imaging: studies of cellular metabolism by glucose (18F-FDG) or palmitic acid (18F-FTHA), cardiac perfusion (99mTc-Sestamibi), in vivo monitoring of biomolecules (antibodies/peptides), cells, vesicles, etc. with applications in oncology, neurology, cardiology and inflammatory and infectious diseases.
• Computed tomography imaging: bone and biomaterials, morphometric, lung studies, etc.
• Molecular probes: synthesis of nanoparticles and/or radioactive or fluorescent labeling of different biomolecules (antibodies, peptides, microvesicles, etc.)
In vivo optical imaging: cellular metabolism studies (genetically modified cells), cell tracking, etc.
• Other services provided by the laboratory are advice regarding the optimal techniques for a specific problem and data post-processing (including quantification, co-registration of modalities, statistical parametric analysis -SPM-, etc.).
Animal models
• Central catheter model for biofilm assessment with C. albicans (rat) 10.1093/mmy/myy065
• C. difficile infection model (mouse) 10.1007/s11307-019-01408-4
• Muscle infection (S. aureus and E. coli) models (rat/mouse) https://doi.org/10.1155/2024/3655327
• S. aureus osteoarthritis model (mouse) 10.1128/spectrum.04540-22
• DSS chemical colitis model (mouse) https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics15030817
• Brain infarction and stroke-reperfusion model (rat) 10.1111/bph.15963
• DBS model (rat) 10.1016/j.expneurol.2016.06.012
• Model of schizophrenia induced by Poly:IC administration in pregnant rats 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2019.05.002
