Molecular Imaging Inc. (MII) has finalized an agreement to run a new state-of-the-art preclinical imaging center at the Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine (Sanford Consortium) in La Jolla, California. The imaging center includes an 11.7T MRI (Bruker), a PET/SPECT/CT (Siemens), IVIS Spectrum bioluminescence (Perkin Elmer) and an ultrasound system (Visual Sonics).
The agreement between the Sanford Consortium and MII will allow the contract research organization (CRO) to leverage its long history and extensive know-how in preclinical in vivo imaging to serve Sanford Consortium investigators, non-affiliated stem cell researchers, other academic scientists and the pharmaceutical discovery industry.
“The Sanford Consortium further solidifies San Diego as a global center for cutting edge regenerative medicine research. We are absolutely delighted to be providing imaging services for Sanford researchers, the broader stem cell research community and pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies in the area,” said Patrick McConville, PhD, chief scientific officer and senior vice president, MII. “The Sanford Consortium was forward thinking in recognizing that preclinical imaging would not just be nice to have, but would be essential in furthering stem cell based research that will lead to breakthrough discoveries and treatments. As imaging scientists we are committed to meeting the high tech demands of scientists who are working in this extraordinary area of medical research. The pressure is on us, and that is a great situation to be in,” he added.
The mission of the Sanford Consortium is to advance stem cell research through collaborative, multi-disciplinary interactions. The consortium enables scientists from the La Jolla Institute for Allergy & Immunology, the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, the Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute, The Scripps Research Institute and the University of California, San Diego to work side by side in a facility specifically designed to for stem cell research. Consistent with the objectives of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Sanford Consortium researchers are applying the powers of stem cells to promote diagnoses, treatments and cures for degenerative diseases and injuries.
“The expertise brought by MII will enable Sanford Consortium researchers to fully use and explore the powers of imaging technologies. We believe that in vivo imaging will play a critical role in tracking the effects of stem cells, and accelerate first-of-their-kind therapies to treat and cure some of the world’s most debilitating diseases. Through this exciting partnership, MII’s excellent team of seasoned, imaging professionals will be available to further the work of both our investigators and the wider research community,” said Edward W. Holmes, president, Sanford Consortium.
To date, San Diego has been lacking a comprehensive multimodality imaging facility that could be accessed by industry. The MII/Sanford Consortium based imaging initiative changes that. This center is intended to be a particularly important resource for the burgeoning biotech and pharma industry in San Diego. “It’s been extremely rewarding to be a part of drug discovery and successful clinical translation through multi-modal imaging for biotech and pharma companies over the last decade. The Sanford Consortium opportunity broadens our reach both geographically and therapeutically, and we’re greatly looking forward to developing new relationships with the biomedical industry in San Diego, and more broadly,” stated McConville.
Date: October 17, 2013
Source: Molecualr Imaging Inc.
Filed Under: Drug Discovery
