In Vivo Cellular and Molecular Imaging Center

According to the directive of PAR-06-406 the Developmental Projects should provide an avenue for introducing and integrating new investigators and innovative technologies and/or methodologies into the ICMIC infrastructure (in specific) and molecular imaging (in general). We have supported eleven developmental projects to date (Table 1). Projects 3, 5, 6, 8 and 11 introduced new investigators into the JHU ICMIC and molecular imaging. Projects 1, 4, 6 and 9 resulted in the establishment of innovative technologies and methodologies in molecular imaging research.

Project and year of award	PI and funding generated through pilot	Publications/Awards
1. Receptor imaging using nonparamagnetic MRI contrast agents (2003)	Peter van Zijl, Ph.D. (PI) Jeff Bulte. Ph.D. (Co-PI) Roadmap R21 EB005252 09/15/05-08/31/09	Publication in Nature Biotechnology 4 abstracts
2. New imaging agents for prostate cancer (2003)	Martin Pomper, M.D., Ph.D. R21EB005324 (09/30/05-05/31/07 DOD PC050825 (12/02/05-11/30/07) R21CA111982 (4/7/06-3/31/08) R21CA1114111 5/1/06-4/30/08)	3 publications (Cln. Cancer Res. paper featured on front cover) 6 abstracts
3. Non-invasive monitoring of therapeutic effect of siRNA-mediated radiation sensitization in human prostate cancer xenografts (2003)	Theodore DeWeese, M.D., Ph.D.	Chairman of Radiation Oncology in 2004
4. Imaging of the endothelin receptor in cancer (2003)	Zsolt Szabo, M.D., Ph.D. R21CA115532	2 abstracts
5. Imaging studies of c-myc regulation of tumor metabolism (2003)	Chi Dang, M.D., Ph.D. (PI)	1 abstract
6. Imaging studies of anti-tumorigenic effects of anti-oxidants in vivo (2005)	Ping Gao, Ph.D. (PI) and Chi Dang M.D., Ph.D. (Co-PI)	Publication in Cancer Cell (2007)
7. Molecular Imaging with Magnetic Resonance Microsystems (2005)	Barjor Gimi, Ph.D. (PI) David Gracias, Ph.D. (Co-PI) Imaging islets in implantable microcapsules (Gimi, B., PI) 09/22/06 - 08/31/09, NIH/NIDDK; NIBIB 1R01 EB007456-01.Â Implantable 3D microdevices for diabetes therapy (Gimi, B., PI) 05/01/06 - 04/30/07, Charles E. Culpeper Biomedical Pilot Initiative, Goldman Philanthropic Partnerships and Partnerships for Cures.	Second Prize Poster Award, ISMRM 2007 3 publications (front cover Cell Transplant) 7 abstracts
8. Endogenous angiogenesis inhibitors (2005)	Aleksander S. Popel, Ph.D. 2 NIH grants (RO1 and R21)	4 publications (including PNAS)
9. MR imaging and spectroscopy in detection and localization of prostate cancer: a prospective trial in patients undergoing cystoprostatectomy and radical prostatectomy. (2005)	Katarzyna J. Macura, MD, PhD. (PI) Michael Jacobs, PhD (Co-PI)	1 publication, 1 abstract
10. A versatile visualization system for the analysis of multi-modality and multidimensional cancer imaging (2007)	Meiyappan Solayappan, B.S. (PI)	1 abstract submitted
11. Non-invasive imaging of CXCR4 expression in breast cancer (2007)	Sridhar Nimmagadda, Ph.D. (PI)	1 abstract

Four of these eleven projects have resulted in the establishment of one or more independent research grants. Research studies performed in these projects have been published in high impact journals such as Cancer Cell and Nature Biotechnology. Every developmental project has significantly utilized all five Specialized Resources of the JHU ICMIC Program.