Specialized Core Facilities

1. VA Biomolecular Imaging Center (BIC)
   Dr. Timothy J. Hoffman, Ph.D., VA-BIC Director
   Said Daibes Figueroa, MS, CNMT, Sr. Research Specialist
   Lixin Ma, PhD., Research Assistant Professor
   
   

   The VA Biomolecular Imaging Center (BIC) located at the Harry S Truman Memorial VA Hospital offers VA, and affiliated MU researchers, state of the art molecular and anatomic in vivo imaging capabilities. The imaging center houses a Philips Medical Systems MOSAIC Small Animal PET system, an ImTEK, Inc. combined Micro-SPECT/CT system, and in 2005 will acquire a Varian Inc., actively shielded 7 Tesla 210-mm Small Horizontal Bore MRI system. This research center is designed to make high resolution anatomic and molecular imaging studies available to radiopharmaceutical, oncology, and general biomedical researchers who utilize conventional and immunocompromised animal models as a component of their respective research programs. All research conducted at the VA-BIC requires prior approval by the VA Subcommittee for Animal Studies and the VA Radiation Safety Committee.

   
   
2. RSI facilities supporting P-50-ICMIC Investigators

   

   • Radiopharmacology/Imaging Core (RIC) Resource
     John Lever , PhD, Core Leader Radiopharmacology
     Wynn A. Volkert, PhD, Co-Investigator
     Bennett S. Greenspan, MD, MS, Collaborator

   The overall purpose of the Radiopharmacology / Imaging Core Resource facility is to provide NIH funded researchers with the resources and expertise necessary to perform in vivo pharmacokinetic studies on normal and human tumor xenografted rodents, as well as provide scintigraphic imaging equipment and expertise to complement the pharmacokinetic data. Each of the projects outlined in this proposal will utilize the resources that this core provides in order to evaluate a variety of new potential radiopharmaceuticals.
   

   • Biotechnolgy Core Resource (BC) -
     George P. Smith , PhD, Core Leader
     Susan Deutscher, Ph.D., Associate Core Director
     Fabio Gallazzi, PhD, Co-Investigator
     Robert Davis, Sr. Tech
     Dr. Deutscher

   The main purpose of this Biotechnology Core Resource (BC) facility is to provide researchers, primarily those involved in the P50 Research and Development Programs with key technical and intellectual resources to exploit biotechnology and combinatorial chemistry to rapidly evolve and improve peptide based molecules as cancer
   imaging agents (Figure 1). The majority of the proposed projects utilize biotechnologies centered around combinatorial chemistry that include genetic approaches such as phage peptide display and chemical approaches such as peptide synthesis.
   A central core that houses the genetic combinatorial biotechnology resources including bacterial strains and phage libraries was generated in the P20 phase of the ICMIC. A central core that houses the strains and phage libraries has greatly facilitated projects and investigators employing this methodology. The highly infectious nature of phage has made it imperative to have equipment and facility dedicated for these purposes.

   • Radiochemistry & Bioconjugation Core Resource (RBCC)
     Kattesh V. Katti, Ph D, Director
     Silvia S. Jurisson, Ph D, Co-Director
     Susan Lever, Ph D, Collaborator
     Wynn A. Volkert, Ph D, Collaborator
     Alan R. Ketring, Ph D, Collaborator

   The Radiochemistry/Bioconjugation Core (RBCC) resource provides service in all aspects of ligands/bifunctional chelating agents (BFCAs) design and development, radiochemistry optimization in labeling with 99mTc and 111In, bioconjugation chemistry for linking BFCAs (or 99mTc/111In labeled BFCs) to tumor avid target specific peptides. The RBCC facility also provides a complete range of services toward the development and full characterization of metal complexes at macroscopic levels via the synthesis of Tc-99/Re complexes or In conjugates from appropriate BFCAs or peptide conjugates.A major goal of the Radiochemistry and Bioconjugation Chemistry Core Facility (RBCC) is to provide service in bifunctional chelating agent (BFCAs) design, develop radiolabeling protocols (using 99mTc or 111In) and provide bioconjugation strategies for linking BFCAs or radiometal labeled BFCs to target specific biomolecules used within the P50 program. The RBCC resource will have state of the art infrastructure and expertise all aimed at providing radiolabeling and bioconjugation strategies to accomplish specific goals of the P-50 program toward conducting pilot imaging studies using the optimal 99mTc or 111In labeled peptide conjugates.

   • Human Cancer Tissue Bank (HCTB)
     Dr. Ed Sauter

   We have an IRB approved bank of human tissue to provide both malignant and benign samples, which have been snap frozen and histopathologically reviewed. Whenever possible, we will obtain matched malignant and benign specimens from the same subject. A tube of blood will also be obtained, when possible. Clinical information will also be available as needed by the investigators.