UTHealth Houston 7T MRI Preclinical Core Facility

Background

The 7T preclinical MRI core facility is part of the MRI imaging Center at the McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston. It houses a state-of-the-art simultaneous 7T Bruker PET-MRI system. Conventional and advanced MR techniques are available on the system, which includes 2D and 3D gradient echo, spin echo, fast spin echo, ultrashort echo, and EPI sequences, diffusion tensor or diffusion weighted imaging, MR angiography, Dixon, ASL, magnetization transfer imaging, CEST imaging, MR spectroscopy and chemical shift imaging. The system is also capable of multi-nuclear spectroscopy and imaging.  The Si 198 3-ring PET insert has an axial FOV of 150 mm capable of mouse whole-body imaging with a spatial resolution of 0.8 mm (Derenzo). The facility also has physiological monitoring equipment that allows cardiac gating, respiratory gating, and temperature regulation.

We offer imaging services in a wide range of research areas, such as stroke, oncology, cardiology, spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury, knee injury, and liver diseases. The center also has a surgical suite available to users for minor surgical procedures. Our expert team can help you implement various imaging methods and optimize imaging protocols to meet your research needs. We can also assist you with image analysis for deriving quantitative metrics. The center can also help the investigators with AWC animal protocol and grant preparations.

Services:  

MRI in vivo
MRI ex vivo 
PET/MRI
Surgical room access
Behavior room access

Applications

The in vivo PET/MRI service at the facility includes conventional and advanced MR and PET imaging, Such as:

  • 2D and 3D gradient echo and spin echo imaging
  • 2D and 3D fast spin echo, ultrashort echo, and EPI sequences
  • Quantitative T2 and T2* mapping using multi-echo spin-echo and gradient-echo methods, respectively
  • Quantitative T1 mapping using Inversion Recovery (IR), Saturation Recovery, and variable flip angle methods
  • Diffusion tensor or IVIM, diffusion-weighted imaging
  • Dynamic Contrast Enhanced (DCE) MRI for measuring vascular permeability
  • Dynamic Susceptibility Contrast (DSC) MRI for measuring blood volume, blood flow, and blood vessel caliber.
  • MR angiography
  • Dixon in phase and out of phase for body fat imaging
  • ASL for CBF measurement
  • Magnetization transfer imaging, CEST imaging
  • MR spectroscopy and chemical shift imaging.
  • Resting-state fMRI
  • Cardiac imaging
  • Body MRI
  • PET Tracers that the users purchase, FDG, PSMA, Tau –amyloid etc.

The ex vivo MRI service at the facility includes 3D high-resolution anatomical and diffusion tensor imaging. We will accommodate users with other imaging needs based on scanner capability.

Our 7T Preclinical Services also include Behavioral Assessments

  • Computer Activity Monitoring
  • Mechanical Conflict Avoidance Assay
  • Morris Water Maze
  • Randal-Selitto Assay
  • Von Frey Assay
  • Foot Fault Assay

Contact Juan Herrera to check out the Behavioral Core schedule for open time slots and submit requests through iLab.

Getting Started

  • All imaging studies must have AWC-approved animal protocol. Make sure the imaging procedure is covered in the protocol. We are not allowed to scan without the approved protocol.
  • Finish the MRI safety class offered through LearnToSucceed
  • Fill out the user account form and email it to Nelly Arias or Shuning Huang
  • Contract Shuning Huang to check out the scanner schedule for open time slots and submit scan requests through iLab.

Contact

The 7T preclinical MRI core facility is located on the ground floor of McGovern Medical School (MSB), Suite G.604 (6431 Fanning Street, Houston, TX, 77030). For more information or questions about using our 7T preclinical core facility, please call our facility at 713-500-5925 or contact Dr. Shuning Huang.

We look forward to working with your research team.

Service Charges

Scan Time Charges

  • In vivo MRI: $200/hr for users from UT System, $300/hr for users from external non-profit organizations, and $400/hr for users from external for-profit organizations.
  • Ex vivo MRI: $200/sample for users from UT System, $300/sample for users from external non-profit organizations, and $400/sample for users from external for-profit organizations.
  • PET: at cost

These charges include anesthesia (isoflurane), contrast agent, and the use of a surgical suite. Investigators are responsible for administering any injectable anesthetic agents.

Data Analysis Charge

  • MRI data analysis: $300/dataset for users from UT System, $450/dataset for users from external non-profit organizations, and $600/dataset for users from external for-profit organizations.
  • PET/MRI data analysis: $500/dataset for users from UT System, $750/dataset for users from external non-profit organizations, and $1000/dataset for users from external for-profit organizations.

Cancellation and no-show policy:

No-shows or reservations canceled in less than 24 hours will be charged a setup fee of $200.

Selected Publications in the last 10 years

  1. Park H, Kim S, Savarraj J, Huang S, Körbelin J, Choi H, Marrelli SP, Aronowski J, Chen PR, Kim E, Endothelial oncogenic KRAS mutation drives dynamics of myeloid cells to stimulate spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage in malformed brain vasculature; Circulation Research, under review
  2. Zeineddine HA, Hong SH, Peesh P, Dienel A, Torres K, Thankamani Pandit P, Matsumura K, Huang S, Li W, Chauhan A, Hagan JP, Marrelli SP, McCullough LD, Blackburn SL, Aronowski J, McBride DW. Neutrophils and Neutrophil Extracellular Traps Cause Vascular Occlusion and Delayed Cerebral Ischemia After Subarachnoid Hemorrhage in Mice. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2024 Mar;44(3):635-652. doi: 10.1161/ATVBAHA.123.320224.
  3. Zamorano M, Olson SD, Haase C, Herrera JJ, Huang S, Sequeira DJ, Cox CS Jr, Miller BA. Innate immune activation and white matter injury in a rat model of neonatal intraventricular hemorrhage are dependent on developmental stage. Exp Neurol. 2023 Sep;367:114472. doi: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2023.114472. Epub 2023 Jun 17. PMID: 37336344.
  4. Cabeen RP, Mandeville J, Hyder F, Sanganahalli BF, Thedens DR, Arbab AL, Huang S, Bibic , A, Tarakci E, Mihailovic J, Morais A, Lamb J, Nagarkatti K, Toga AW, Lyden P, and Ayata C, Computational Image-Based Stroke Assessment for Evaluation of Cerebroprotectants with Longitudinal and Multi-Site Preclinical MRI, 2023 IEEE 20th International Symposium on Biomedical Imaging (ISBI), Cartagena, Colombia, 2023, pp. 1-5, doi: 10.1109/ISBI53787.2023.10230408.
  5. Otani Y, Sur H, Rachaiah G, et al. Inhibiting protein phosphatase 2A increases the antitumor effect of protein arginine methyltransferase 5 inhibition in models of glioblastoma. Neuro-oncology. 2021 Feb. DOI: 10.1093/neuonc/noab014.
  6. Contro J, Silva DA, Santisteban OAN, Narayana PA, Nery JG. In vitro and in vivo comparative performance studies of gadolinium-loaded zeolites and GdDOTA as contrast agents for MRI applications. J Biomed Mater Res B Appl Biomater. 2020 Dec 6. doi: 10.1002/jbm.b.34773. Online ahead of print.
  7. Otani Y, Yoo JY, Chao S, Liu J, Jaime-Ramirez AC, Lee TJ, Hurwitz B, Yan Y, Dai H, Glorioso JC, Caligiuri MA, Yu J, Kaur B. Oncolytic HSV-Infected Glioma Cells Activate NOTCH in Adjacent Tumor Cells  Sensitizing Tumors to Gamma Secretase Inhibition. Clin Cancer Res. United States; 2020 May 15;26(10):2381–2392. PMID: 32139403
  8. Herrera J, Bockhorst K, Bhattarai D, Uray K. Gastrointestinal vascular permeability changes following spinal cord injury. Neurogastroenterology and motility : the official journal of the European Gastrointestinal Motility Society. 2020 Mar;e13834. PMID: 32163655
  9. Lee TJ, Nair M, Banasavadi-Siddegowda Y, Liu J, Nallanagulagari T, Jaime-Ramirez AC, Guo JY, Quadri H, Zhang J, Bockhorst KH, Aghi MK, Carbonell WS, Kaur B, Yoo JY. Enhancing Therapeutic Efficacy of Oncolytic Herpes Simplex Virus-1 with Integrin beta1 Blocking Antibody OS2966. Molecular cancer therapeutics. 2019 Jun;18(6):1127–1136. PMCID: PMC6548661
  10. Hong B, Muili K, Bolyard C, Russell L, Lee TJ, Banasavadi-Siddegowda Y, Yoo JY, Yan Y, Ballester LY, Bockhorst KH, Kaur B. Suppression of HMGB1 Released in the Glioblastoma Tumor Microenvironment Reduces  Tumoral Edema. Mol Ther Oncolytics. 2019 Mar 29;12:93–102. PMCID: PMC6350213
  11. Hong B, Muili K, Bolyard C, Russell L, Lee TJ, Banasavadi-Siddegowda Y, Yoo JY, Yan Y, Ballester LY, Bockhorst KH, Kaur B. Suppression of HMGB1 Released in the Glioblastoma Tumor Microenvironment Reduces Tumoral Edema. Molecular therapy oncolytics. 2019 Mar;12:93–102. PMCID: PMC6350213
  12. Russell L, Swanner J, Jaime-Ramirez AC, Wang Y, Sprague A, Banasavadi-Siddegowda Y, Yoo JY, Sizemore GM, Kladney R, Zhang J, Lehman NL, Ostrowski MC, Hong B, Caligiuri M, Yu J, Kaur B. PTEN expression by an oncolytic herpesvirus directs T-cell mediated tumor clearance. Nat Commun. 2018 Nov 27;9(1):5006. PMCID: PMC6258708
  13. Lee TJ, Yoo JY, Shu D, Li H, Zhang J, Yu J-G, Jaime-Ramirez AC, Acunzo M, Romano G, Cui R, Sun H-L, Luo Z, Old M, Kaur B, Guo P, Croce CM. RNA Nanoparticle-Based Targeted Therapy for Glioblastoma through Inhibition of Oncogenic miR-21. Molecular therapy : The Journal of the American Society of Gene Therapy. 2017 Jul;25(7):1544–1555. PMCID: PMC5498802
  14. Banasavadi-Siddegowda YK, Russell L, Frair E, Karkhanis VA, Relation T, Yoo JY, Zhang J, Sif S, Imitola J, Baiocchi R, Kaur B. PRMT5-PTEN molecular pathway regulates senescence and self-renewal of primary  glioblastoma neurosphere cells. Oncogene. 2017 Jan 12;36(2):263–274. PMCID: PMC5240810
  15. Herrera JJ, Bockhorst K, Kondraganti S, Stertz L, Quevedo J, Narayana PA. Acute White Matter Tract Damage after Frontal Mild Traumatic Brain Injury. Journal of neurotrauma. 2017 Jan;34(2):291–299. PMCID: PMC5220577
  16. Lee TJ, Haque F, Shu D, Yoo JY, Li H, Yokel RA, Horbinski C, Kim TH, Kim S-H, Kwon C-H, Nakano I, Kaur B, Guo P, Croce CM. RNA nanoparticle as a vector for targeted siRNA delivery into glioblastoma mouse model. Oncotarget. 2015 Jun;6(17):14766–14776. PMCID: PMC4558114
  17. Lee TJ, Haque F, Vieweger M, Yoo JY, Kaur B, Guo P, Croce CM. Functional assays for specific targeting and delivery of RNA nanoparticles to brain tumor. Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, NJ). 2015;1297:137–152. PMCID: PMC5289709
  18. Narayana PA, Herrera JJ, Bockhorst KH, Esparza-Coss E, Xia Y, Steinberg JL, Moeller FG. Chronic cocaine administration causes extensive white matter damage in brain: diffusion tensor imaging and immunohistochemistry studies. Psychiatry research. 2014 Mar;221(3):220–230. PMCID: PMC3943678
  19. Nusbaum DM, Antonsen E, Bockhorst KH, Easley RB, Clark JB, Brady KM, Kibler KK, Sutton JP, Kramer L, Sargsyan AE. Optic nerve sheath diameter measurement techniques: examination using a novel  ex-vivo porcine model. Aviat Space Environ Med. United States; 2014 Jan;85(1):50–54. PMID: 24479259
  20. Hui C, Esparza-Coss E, Narayana PA. Improved three-dimensional Look-Locker acquisition scheme and angle map filtering procedure for T1 estimation. NMR in biomedicine. 2013 Nov;26(11):1420–1430. PMCID: PMC3785574
  21. Hylin MJ, Orsi SA, Zhao J, Bockhorst K, Perez A, Moore AN, Dash PK. Behavioral and histopathological alterations resulting from mild fluid percussion injury. Journal of neurotrauma. 2013 May;30(9):702–715. PMCID: PMC3941923
  22. Wendt M, Bockhorst K, He L, Glasser A. Accuracy and resolution of in vitro imaging based porcine lens volumetric measurements. Experimental eye research. 2011 Nov;93(5):741–752. PMCID: PMC3658159
  23. Sundberg LM, Herrera JJ, Narayana PA. Effect of vascular endothelial growth factor treatment in experimental traumatic spinal cord injury: in vivo longitudinal assessment. Journal of neurotrauma. 2011 Apr;28(4):565–578. PMCID: PMC3070144.