The University of Liège has been awarded over €850,000 in funding for the purchase of a state-of-the-art microPET and microCT



The Fondation contre le Cancer has just granted funding of more than 850,000 euros to the University of Liège for the acquisition of two preclinical systems for positron emission tomography (microPET) and computed tomography (microCT) imaging. These new GIGA-CRC in vivo Imaging instruments will be located at the GIGA Institute, in the Central Animal Facility of the Hospital Quarter.

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adia Withofs and Roland Hustinx were responsible for the Advanced Technology Equipment project for the GIGA-CRC in vivo Imaging, in close collaboration with Prof. Pierre Drion, Director of the Central Animal Facility.

With the use of a molecular imaging agent radiolabelled with a positron-emitting isotope (β+ radiation), microPET is a nuclear medicine molecular imaging technique that allows the precise visualisation, characterisation and accurate quantification of a biological process of interest, non-invasively, without depth limitation in tissues, with high sensitivity and submillimetre spatial resolution.

The microCT system can be used alone or in combination with microPET, providing localisation information and anatomical detail of lesions with a spatial resolution of up to 50 μm. It will allow the acquisition of whole-body CT images of the subject at extremely low radiation doses while maintaining excellent contrast.

These imaging systems with the highest performance are easy to use and will be accessible to all ULiège researchers. The aim is to accelerate research projects using preclinical molecular imaging in vivo, in oncology but also in other areas, such as inflammation and fibrosis, for example.

 

This project was supported by many GIGA researchers and the following laboratories joined the application:

- Central Animal Facility of the University (Pr P. Drion)

- Laboratory of Hematology (Prs. Y. Beguin, J. Caers & F. Baron)

- GIGA-Neurosciences, lab of Nervous System disorders and therapy (Prs B. Rogister, F. Scholtes & Dr A. Lombard)

- GIGA Cancer-Tumours and development biology (Pr D. Cataldo)

- Department of Radiotherapy (Pr P. Coucke, Dr F. Lallemand)

- GIGA-cancer Metastasis Research Laboratory (A. Bellahcene PhD, Pr O. Peulen)

- GIGA Cancer-Human Genetics (Pr V. Bours)

- GIGA Stem Cells-Zebrafish Dev. & Disease Model (M. Voz PhD & B. Peers PhD)

- GIGA Cancer-Tumours and development biology (N. E. Sounni PhD)

- GIGA Cancer-Cellular and Molecular Epigenetics (Pr L. Willems)

- Dental-Biomaterials Research Unit (Prs F. Lambert & A. Mainjot) 

Contact

Roland Hustinx

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