New diagnostic strategies to determine cardiovascular risk

Despite significant advances in diagnostic and therapeutic technologies, cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the global leading cause of death, accounting for 17.3 million deaths per year, and is expected to grow to more than 23.6 million by 2030. Currently, the prevention of MI and stroke is limited due to the lack of sensitive imaging methods. Those available usually involve invasive procedures such as coronary angiograms, which are potentially associated with complications, including death caused by MI or bleeding. Hence, there is a great need for new diagnostic strategies to determine whether the individual patient is at risk of MI or stroke, which then would allow for effective and early preventative treatment and improved clinical outcome.

This project is a multicentre collaboration led by the University of Queensland (UQ), Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN), including the Queensland nodes of the National Imaging Facility and Australian National Fabrication Facility, Monash University, Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute and the SooChow University. Together this project developed novel molecular imaging nanoparticles to enhance for MRI detection of activated platelets which is associated with unstable vulnerable atherosclerotic plaques.

 

A complete description of the project, including the particles and imaging methods, is available via the a publication in Biomaterials journal.

 

The uncovered toxins in Fang Blenny fish venom could pave the way for new medications

The UQ Node of the National Imaging facility has recently helped a scientific breakthrough in the field of venom research. The 3D image of a fang blenny reef fish was produced at the Centre for Advanced Imaging using the Siemens micro CT scanner. It was part of an international study led by Professor Bryan Fry from UQ school of Biological sciences involving,  Leiden University in Netherlands, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine in UK, Monash University and the University of Queensland in Australia. The study was recently published in Current Biology. 

The team of scientists confirm that one group of fang blenny have venom glands that contain enkephalins, an opioid hormone that works by targeting the same molecules as synthetic opioid painkillers. According to Fry, the venoms of these species may serve as a novel source of painkillers. Currently prescribed opioids have led to an epidemic of addiction, so doctors and scientists are keen to find alternatives.

You can find more about this discovery through the following online articles by New Scientists, BBC, Science, National Public Radio (NPR), New York Times, and more!

Discover Magazine

The Atlantic

Science Magazine

New Scientist

Wired

Gizmodo

BBC

New York Times

 

Collaborators: Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, UK; Leiden University, The Netherlands; The University of Queensland, Australia; Monash University, Australia; University of Karachi, Pakistan; Leiden University Medical Centre, The Netherlands; Bangor University, UK; Anglia Ruskin University, UK

National network of trusted data repositories establish standard for the future

Imaging equipment such as MRI, PET and CT scanners are capable of producing vast amounts of valuable research data. In order to maximise research outcomes, data must be stored securely, have its quality verified, and should be accessible to the wider research community.

Informatics fellows from around Australia have combined their expertise to build a series of Trusted Data Repositories (TDR’s) to provide researchers with a secure location to store, share and curate their data.

This national project, Delivering durable, reliable, high-quality image data, jointly funded by the Australian National Data Service (ANDS) and Research Data Services (RDS), guarantees the storage of data for at least 10 years for use in future research.

Led by the National Imaging Facility (NIF), the project brought together researchers and informatics specialists from UQ’s Centre for Advanced Imaging (CAI), Monash Biomedical Imaging (MBI), Monash eResearch Centre, the University of Western Australia, RCC (Research Computing Centre, UQ) and the University of NSW. Together, the team has established best practices for TDR’s to store imaging data nationally, through the NIF network.

To read the full article, please click on the following link:

https://cai.centre.uq.edu.au/article/2017/12/national-network-trusted-data-repositories-establish-standard-future

Imaging Data, a Treasured Asset

Micro-CT imaging data collected at CAI by National Imaging Facility (NIF) Fellow, Dr Karine Mardon, has been transformed into an interactive display as part of the 200 treasures exhibition at the Australian Museum’s newly restored Long Gallery (now Westpac Gallery).

The data has been reconstructed to create a multimedia, interactive exhibit where visitors can see a 3D model of the internal structures several specimen.

The Westpac Gallery 200 Treasures will be a permanent installation and featured 100 invaluable treasures from the Australian Museum collection, and the stories of 100 people who have had a profound influence on Australian history.

The gallery has a rich history, as the first gallery in Australias first museum. The 19th century theatre has been extensively restored over the past two years to preserve and adapt the space. While respecting the historical signifcance of the gallery, it has embracing a modern spirit reflecting the museum’s current and future collections.

The Museum has been experimenting with CT to view internal structures of a specimens without the need for dissection.

Acknowledgements
Micro-CT data collected at the Centre for Advanced Imaging on the Inveon PET-CT, funded as part of the National Imaging Facility (NIF) by Dr Karine Mardon. Multimedia display in the Westpac Long Gallery developed by the interactive design company Holly. All images are copyright of the Australian Museum.

For more information on this study, please click on the following link:

https://cai.centre.uq.edu.au/article/2017/12/imaging-data-treasured-asset

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