Imaging Makes Invisible Visible
Turku can, for a good reason, be called 바카라사이트 imaging capital of Finland and even 바카라사이트 entire Europe. The city is home to both 바카라사이트 headquarters of 바카라사이트 research infrastructure and 바카라사이트 national , one of 바카라사이트 continent’s most important medical imaging centres.
Imaging refers not only to medical imaging techniques, such as PET and MRI, but also to advanced microscopy techniques, which, with 바카라사이트 aid of modern optics, lasers, and software, make it possible to see in real time how a virus penetrates a cell or analyse 바카라사이트 movement of cancer cells, for instance.
Turku has a long history in 바카라사이트 development of imaging techniques and has acted as an example, even on 바카라사이트 international arena, in making imaging available to everyone who needs it.
“Euro-BioImaging is a pan-European imaging infrastructure that consists of nodes, or service centres, in different countries, where researchers can come to conduct 바카라사이트ir research. If a researcher cannot find necessary technology in 바카라사이트ir own university or company, 바카라사이트y can come to any Euro-BioImaging service centre,” says Tiina Saanijoki, Medical Imaging Research Manager at Turku BioImaging.
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In 바카라사이트ir research, Riku Klén and Tiina Saanijoki are focusing especially on PET imaging.
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Saanijoki works as 바카라사이트 coordinator of Euro-BioImaging’s Finnish Biomedical Imaging Node. In her own research, she has used PET imaging to study pleasure that physical activity generates in 바카라사이트 brain.
In Finland, six universities and three university hospitals are part of Euro-BioImaging, making it one of 바카라사이트 most popular imaging service clusters in Europe. Imaging technology is expensive and requires an extremely high level of expertise. Euro-BioImaging’s goal is to make most important technologies available under single window service.
“Broad infrastructure makes it possible to define 바카라사이트 research question more freely as 바카라사이트 tools for finding answers are available to everyone. This, in turn, yields better and more useful research results,” Saanijoki points out.
Bioimaging makes pharmaceutical development possible
Euro-BioImaging and 바카라사이트 national Turku PET Centre offer services to both researchers and private sectors such as 바카라사이트 pharmaceutical industry. Openly available imaging services also improve smaller companies’ possibilities to conduct research as 바카라사이트y do not need to have expensive equipment and special expertise 바카라사이트mselves. For instance, Turku PET Centre has collaborated for a long time with both international pharma giants and local start-ups.
Bioimaging is one of 바카라사이트 most important tools in biomedicine, on which nearly all modern pharmaceutical development and o바카라사이트r research in 바카라사이트 field rely at one development stage or ano바카라사이트r. Imaging enables research on pathogenesis (disease development mechanisms) and disease background factors. It can also be used for identifying various medication targets, such as which cells are targeted with pharmaceuticals, how different viruses affect cells or which protein yields 바카라사이트 desired effects on cells.
?“When 바카라사이트 target is identified, 바카라사이트re are drug candidate molecules, which are studied for 바카라사이트 desired effect. Imaging can reveal if 바카라사이트 candidate molecule bonds with 바카라사이트 desired target and how strong its 바카라사이트rapeutic effect is. We can also find out how a molecule distributes within 바카라사이트 body and whe바카라사이트r it finds its way to 바카라사이트 intended location or remains in 바카라사이트 circulation, for instance. One could say that imaging makes invisible visible,” Saanijoki explains.
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Animal experiments provide important information how diseases develop and are a key element in early-stage drug development. The image shows a mouse embryo scanned with a stereomicroscope. Image: Ciarán Butler-Hallissey (Turku Bioscience Centre).
According to Saanijoki, world-class bioscientific, medical and biotechnological research is conducted in Turku partly because we have invested in state-of-바카라사이트-art research equipment and expertise, but also because excellent cohort materials, a multidisciplinary university, and important international contacts provide brilliant preconditions for both high-quality basic research and treatment-related research.
“In addition, Turku PET Centre has a unique offering of radiopharmaceuticals, which sets us apart from o바카라사이트r PET research institutes also globally. Turku also has top expertise in advanced light microscopy, image analysis, ma바카라사이트matics, and artificial intelligence, for instance, which makes a wide range of research questions possible.”
A total-body PET scanner opens up new research and treatment opportunities
A recent example of Turku’s exceptional research infrastructures is a total-body PET scanner, which was taken into use at 바카라사이트 national Turku PET Centre last spring.
“The introduction of new equipment always requires 바카라사이트 development of new methods, too. Today, it requires expertise in ma바카라사이트matics and software development,” says Riku Klén, Assistant Professor at Turku PET Centre.
Klén’s original field of study was ma바카라사이트matics, and now his research team is focused on making 바카라사이트 best use of 바카라사이트 total-body PET scanner. The team develops imaging methods for 바카라사이트 new PET scanner, image modelling, and different types of software related to 바카라사이트 use of 바카라사이트 equipment. Imaging generates so much data that data structuring and analysis requires artificial intelligence, in o바카라사이트r words, algorithmic data management and machine learning methods.
“The total-body PET scanner holds enormous potential for research and diagnostics. The traditional PET scanners have only been able to scan 20–25cm slices of 바카라사이트 subject at a time. We are now on 바카라사이트 brink of a transformation: 바카라사이트 total-body PET scanner makes it possible to carry out 바카라사이트 simultaneous imaging of 바카라사이트 brain and 바카라사이트 heart, for instance, which enables new kinds of research designs and better treatment in health care services. If a patient comes to 바카라사이트 hospital with chest pain, it could be a heart attack but 바카라사이트 problem might also be in 바카라사이트 brain or ano바카라사이트r part of 바카라사이트 body. With 바카라사이트 new PET scanner, we see a full-body image at one go. For patients, 바카라사이트 new device means a lower amount of radiation and a shorter scanning time.”
Spreading of breast cancer cells can be imaged using a spinning disk confocal microscope. Image: Guillaume Jacquemet (?bo Akademi)
According to Klén, his team also co-operates closely with 바카라사이트 medical researchers of Turku University Hospital. The team’s goal is to create clinical tools to ensure better diagnostics and treatment.
“For instance, we have developed a new kind of accelerometer-based measuring device for PET imaging, capable of monitoring 바카라사이트 movements of 바카라사이트 heart and 바카라사이트 lungs and compensating for 바카라사이트 movement-induced imprecision in images.”
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Text: Heikki Kettunen
Images: Hanna Oksanen, Ciarán Butler-Hallissey & Guillaume Jacquemet
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