ICF State-of-the art preclinical MRI for advanced in vivo imaging

This project will replace the University of Manchester’s (UoM) end-of-life 7T preclinical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner with a new cryogen free state-of-the art 7T instrument. MRI is best known for its use in hospitals to diagnose and monitor diseases of the brain, heart, joints, liver and digestive system. However, it is also an essential research tool used in a preclinical and clinical setting to study how diseases occur, how they develop, and to evaluate novel interventions. In preclinical research, it is used to study disease processes and drug effects in mice and rat models of human disease, as well as to undertake basic methodological research (e.g. developing new MRI techniques). The translational impact of MRI can be significant, since any new method or scientific discovery arising from the use of MRI in a preclinical setting (e.g. diagnostic markers, drug effects), can then be translated to human scanners and tested in a clinical population. Our current instrument is 5 years beyond its serviceable life and was last upgraded in 2008. As such, the instrument is no longer state-of-the-art and is at high risk of non-recoverable failure. Despite these shortcomings, the instrument is highly utilised (~900 hours representing 90% of current operational capacity, underpinning £20M of grant income) and loss of the instrument would kill a wide range of research programmes. This project has two clear objectives: To mitigate the negative impacts associated with failure of our current instrument, preventing loss of preclinical MRI capability at the UoM, To dramatically upgrade software and hardware, boosting image quality and enabling new science not currently possible. The new instrument will enable and enhance a wide range of translationally important studies, from the development of new measurements of cerebrovascular and brain function, to the application of these measurements in understanding the biology of disease and assessment of drug efficacy (see Vision for full details). Upgraded hardware such as higher specification gradients will allow increased brain coverage and spatial resolution for routine as well as novel techniques used within our facility (e.g. filtered exchange imaging, arterial spin labelling, diffusion tensor imaging). This will allow resolution of smaller brain structures involved in cognition (e.g. hippocampus), smaller lesions or anatomies of interest (e.g. perivascular spaces), and to map lesion heterogeneity (e.g. tumour heterogeneity). Stronger gradients will also allow higher resolution imaging of low-frequency nuclei such as deuterium, and higher b-value diffusion MRI enabling kurtosis effects to be measured. Finally, multi-channel coils and improvements in software, particularly SmartMI AI technology, will provide clearer images in less time than our existing instrument, improving throughput. Our existing userbase predominantly use MRI to image the brain. Our longer-term objective will be to expand usage of the new instrument to additional areas including cardiology, capitalising on recent BHF Centre of Research Excellence funding. Automated analysis pipelines will be developed to provide robust and efficient service delivery, reducing barriers to research and increasing throughput, ensuring the instrument is sustainable and continues to deliver impact on the local, national and international stage.