# In Vivo Imaging Facility

> **NIH NIH P30** · UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH · 2020 · $248,336

## Abstract

Abstract: In Vivo Imaging Facility (IVIF)
Advances in cancer management require the development of new therapies, and state-of-the-art imaging
technologies are needed to assess response to those therapies. The Hillman Cancer Center (HCC) In Vivo
Imaging Facility (IVIF) provides novel quantitative imaging techniques that trace biomarkers of molecular
events and immunotherapy response associated with effective cancer therapy. Validation of advanced imaging
techniques that are specific for relevant cellular processes are required to detect and measure the efficacy of
novel anticancer therapies and measure early tumoricidal response. As part of this facility, PET tracers
targeting various tumor markers and immune cells in the tumor microenvironment, as well as complementary
optical and MR methodologies, are being developed to sensitively and specifically quantify drug-cancer cell
interactions. The IVIF provides a critical shared resource for testing PET tracers in in vivo rodent models of
cancer and validating promising agents in humans through quantitative imaging trials. The overall goal of the
IVIF is to provide pre-clinical and clinical imaging services to HCC investigators to assist in visualizing
mechanisms of biomarker action, provide approaches for early disease detection, and monitor therapeutic
efficacy. The IVIF supports all 7 programs at HCC, and has contributed to high impact publications in
Immunity, Cancer Cell, Theranostics and Nature Communications, among other journals. IVIF had 76 users of
which 66 were HCC investigators. Of the 66 HCC users, 42 had peer-reviewed funding.
The Specific Aims of the IVIF: (1) Assess biomarker expression throughout cancer treatment using a single
modality or a combination of modalities, both clinically and pre-clinically; (2) provide non-invasive imaging
services for monitoring therapeutic efficacy in humans and animal models of cancer; (3) provide standard
imaging assessment services to evaluate all types of treatment response using the FDA-approved and other
standard imaging assessment criteria; (4) provide and incorporate novel imaging analytics such as radiomics
and radiogenomics for clinical and preclinical tumor characterizations; and (5) develop novel imaging
algorithms, advanced imaging analytics, radiotracers, and contrast agents for clinical and pre-clinical
oncological imaging to monitor and evaluate treatment response and agents for targeted radionuclide therapy.
Key Services Include: (1) PET radiotracer development and production for human PET-CT and PET-MRI; (2)
pre-clinical PET-CT and clinical or preclinical assessment of biomarker expression during cancer treatment;
and (3) developing methods for monitoring drug treatments and other types of therapy with PET-CT, CT,
and/or MRI through the use of molecular imaging, standard imaging assessments, tumor volumetrics,
radiomics and radiogenomics.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10024345
- **Project number:** 2P30CA047904-32
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH
- **Principal Investigator:** Carolyn J. Anderson
- **Activity code:** P30 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $248,336
- **Award type:** 2
- **Project period:** 1997-09-10 → 2025-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10024345

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10024345, In Vivo Imaging Facility (2P30CA047904-32). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10024345. Licensed CC0.

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