This was an article published in Science Magazine Biophotonics International. ...Investigators also have used this agent for vascular imaging, to solve problems where clinical contrast agents fall short. For example, a group at the Children's Cancer Research Institute of the Univeristy of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio uses volumetric x-ray CT to study transgenic mouse models of solid tumors such as the childhood muscle cancer rhabdomyosarcoma, focusing on imaging of tumor vascular networks. This modality offers high spatial resolution and improved signal-to-noise ratio over previous generations of nonvolumetric small-animal CT scanners, but the scan time is relatively long, leading to clearance of clinical iodinated contrast agents tens of minutes before the stain is completed. The vasuclar agent helps address this issue. Various formulations of the agent allow medium and long blood-pool times, easily permitting 20- to 24-minute live animal scans at a 93-um resolution, "so venules and arterioles can be resolved," said researcher Charles Keller. Also, it features a lower iodine content than clinical contrast agents, making it easier to identify the vessels for computer-based image rendering and sementation.
Gary Boas. Biophotonics International, July 2005. pp.16-17 [interview, figure]
