Multimodal preclinical imaging brings science closer to personalized medicine

lto biomedical imaging revolutionized research and healthcare diagnostics providing non-invasive tools for high-precision visualization of internal structures, as well as physiological and pathophysiological processes in living organisms. In this area, preclinical imaging plays a critical role in basic and applied biomedical research, facilitating characterization of pathologies and early assessment of the effectiveness and safety of new drugs and treatment methods. In addition, this method reduces the need for invasive experiments, improving both the quality of research and animal welfare.

Among these methods is magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). magnetic resonance imaging) has established itself as one of the most advanced and versatile tools. Its ability to generate detailed, high-resolution images of soft tissue without the use of ionizing radiation makes it a highly valuable non-invasive technique. On the other hand, positron emission tomography (PET). positron emission tomography) stands out for its ability to provide functional and metabolic information in real time, allowing the visualization of biological processes at the molecular level.

Since January last year, the Institute of Biomedical Research of Sols Morreale (IIBM-CSIC-UAM), a joint center of the CSIC and the Autonomous University of Madrid (UAM), has had a hybrid imaging system capable of simultaneously acquiring magnetic resonance images and positron images. emission tomography (MRI/PET). This equipment allows very high spatial resolution information to be obtained using MRI, and the use of radiopharmaceutical PET allows the visualization and quantification of biological processes at the molecular level with excellent sensitivity. This equipment represents a natural transition from the monomodal equipment previously available at IIBM to a multimodal approach, facilitating the development of new hybrid MRI/PET sequences and protocols.

“The combination of hybrid and simultaneous MRI and PET imaging is unique in biomedical research,” he explains. Pilar Lopez-Larrubiadirector of MIBM. The researcher and coordinator of the Biomedical Magnetic Resonance group at IIBM emphasizes that the institute is one of the first centers offering this methodology in Spain and the only one associated with the CSIC.

The new cutting-edge technology has received an investment of 1.2 million euros, financed by the European Union (NextGenerationEU) and the State Research Agency (AEI). The director notes that this team is “accelerating the transfer of preclinical science, that is, what is done by researchers in the laboratory, into hospital medicine and will be important for nanomedicine research aimed at personalized medicine, an area with greater promise.” to advance diagnostics and obtain more effective treatments.”

Translational Research: From Laboratory to Hospital

The IIBM basement houses the Sebastian Cerdan Biomedical MRI Science and Technology Service, certified by AENOR to the ISO9001 quality standard. Due to its strategic location, proximity to the La Paz and Ramon y Cajal hospitals, as well as the CNIO and CNIC centers of the Carlos III Health Institute, as well as its recognized scientific and technical expertise in preclinical imaging, this service was included in the registry. Network of Scientific and Technical Laboratories and Infrastructures of the Community of Madrid (REDLAB), distinguished by the quality of the activities offered.

The IIBM service covers a wide range of tissues and organs such as the central nervous system, heart and liver, among others, with the help of three magnetic resonance machines.. A 7 Tesla (7 Tesla) preclinical magnetic resonance imaging system and another 11.7 Tesla spectroscopy system are added to the two existing equipment. in vitro and tissue samples, newly acquired MRI/PET scanner added. What is unique about this new device is that it is capable of operating at two magnetic field intensities: 7 Tesla, the high field used in preclinical settings, and 3 Tesla, which is common in clinical settings, which will make it easier to translate results obtained in the laboratory into clinical setting. The IIBM hybrid MRI/PET scanner will enable research in animal models of numerous metabolic, vascular, neurological pathologies and cancers that cause mortality, disability and addiction in Spain and other developed countries.

“Thanks to the new hybrid equipment, it is possible to combine the high resolution of resonance imaging with the high sensitivity of PET, two of the most powerful diagnostic imaging tools available today,” he describes. Teresa Navarro Hernanztechnical director of the Scientific and Technical Service of Biomedical MRI Sebastian Cerdan. “This will allow us, for example, to track how a compound containing both a radioisotope and a drug targets a specific tumor, releases the drug, and how it exerts its effect.”

Researcher Nuria Arias Ramos IIBM’s Biomedical Magnetic Resonance Group, points out that “one of the major advantages of the new MRI/PET system is the acquisition of greater functional and metabolic information about both the tumor and surrounding tissues” using multimodal imaging, obtained simultaneously, in real time. detect the accumulation of nanoparticles in the tumor containing radioisotopes (visible with PET) and contrast agents using magnetic resonance (visible with MRI), explains Arias Ramosspecializing in glioblastoma, a highly fatal type of brain tumor. This represents a significant advance in researchers’ ability to track and evaluate tumor progression and response to treatment in preclinical models, with important implications for the development of more effective and personalized treatments. Moreover, “by offering a very comprehensive view of the tumor environment, it will be possible to identify regions with subpopulations of tumor cells that respond differently to treatment, which in turn could help develop more specific therapeutic strategies,” he says. Arias Ramos.

Another undeniable advantage of the equipment is the ability to change the magnetic field in which it operates, operating at both 3T and 7T. “This allows MRI images to be obtained in both fields: at 7T the resulting image has greater resolution due to a better signal-to-noise ratio, but the ability to work at 3T is important because this field is used in hospital settings. – adds the researcher. This flexibility means that preclinical studies conducted using new equipment have more direct and rapid translation into clinical practice. The ability to correlate preclinical results with clinical studies is an added value that attracts many researchers.

The inclusion of this new MRI/PET system at IIBM represents not only a technological advance, but also an opportunity to improve the quality and relevance of research in oncology and other biomedical fields. By providing a powerful tool for simultaneous investigation of functional and metabolic aspects of tissues, this equipment can accelerate the development of new treatments and improve the accuracy of disease diagnosis and monitoring.

Unique equipment

Both in preclinical studies and in direct clinical application, magnetic resonance imaging has established itself as a fundamental basis for the diagnosis and prognosis of a wide range of pathologies. In addition, it plays a key role in early therapy monitoring by providing detailed images with structural, functional and metabolic information in a non-invasive manner and with high spatial and temporal resolution. In turn, PET imaging is the most powerful and reliable technology in nuclear medicine, providing molecular information. in natural conditions not available to other methodologies.

IIBM stands out for its powerful and advanced multimodal preclinical imaging capabilities with outstanding translational capabilities. These capabilities are available to CSIC research groups and other public research organizations (OPIs) interested in this cutting-edge technology, making the center a benchmark for conducting previously unavailable research, thereby promoting the development of cutting-edge research.