Imaging:
a. MRI: The Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Laboratories (http://cmrl.wustl.edu), originally
established as the “Center for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance” in 1995 by Dr. Samuel Wickline has evolved its mission and purview in part
to cover the following areas:
- cardiovascular disease
- develop CMR for routine use in cardiology as a routine, comprehensive diagnostic test.
- learn new physiology and pathophysiology from basic research on patients and animals.
- provide training in CMR for both technical and medical personnel.
- molecular imaging and targeted therapeutics
- develop and apply methods for imaging molecularly targeted contrast agents for cancer, cardiovascular disease, and other inflammatory conditions
- produce new site targeted nanoparticle vehicles for therapy and quantification of drug delivery with MRI
Since 1995, Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Philips Medical Systems have collaborated on development of cardiovascular MR. The Philips relationship allows the
CMRL to maintain a state-of-the art cardiac MRI scanner, and facilitates development of new methods for cardiovascular imaging. CMRL staff members develop
prototypes of software and hardware for the scanner and for image analysis, and work with Philips to incorporate software into products. Over 3000 subjects
have been imaged since the scanner became operational in December 1995. The CMRL operates a research clinical service for referring physicians for cardiovascular
imaging. Research reports on the study findings are provided routinely to referring physicians.
Since the CMRL team was brought together, more than 400 scientific papers and abstracts have been submitted and/or published, and collaborative relationships
have been formed with multiple companies working on various aspects of cardiac MR. More than 25 grants and contracts have been awarded to support CMRL research
since 1995. Technical research focuses on development of new methods for cardiovascular imaging including use of contrast agents in cardiovascular MR, development
of methods to image the coronary arteries, development of real-time, interactive scan methods, and development of novel methods for patient monitoring in CMR.
Basic physiological research focuses on characterization of cardiac remodeling in aging and after infarction, cardiac metabolism using spectroscopic methods,
angiogenesis, and cardiac structure function relationships. Another focus is “molecular imaging” of proteins with pathophysiological significance
with the use of novel nanoparticle contrast agents that can be targeted to specific sites for diagnosing of vascular disease and cancer, and for drug delivery.