Dieter Fuchs, Peter Kesa, Caroline O’Riordan and Philippe Trochet
Introduction: So far, advancements in health sciences rely heavily on the use of small animals, such as mice and rats. While these animals can mimic various human diseases, including cardiovascular, cancer, neurology, kidney and liver disease, among others, care needs to be taken to balance advancements in research with animal welfare. The aim of our work was to develop advanced and state-of-the-art preclinical imaging approaches.
Methods: Among others, medical engineering and standardization approaches were taken to develop imaging modalities, thereby moving research findings into the clinic by maintaining highest scientific standards and at the same time reducing the number of animals required for experimentation.
Results: We were able to develop state-of-the-art multimodality imaging capabilities, covering fast, non-invasive and pain free applications for early detection and longitudinal monitoring of diseases of the heart, brain, liver, kidney and various cancers. Several case studies will be presented.
Conclusions: Dedicated state-of-the-art preclinical in vivo imaging can be used to validate findings from in vitro experiments but also to provide novel clinically relevant information, forming the basis of translational research. Therefore, preclinical imaging has the potential to change patient care.
