Advanced Magnetic Resonance Center

The Advanced Magnetic Resonance Center is shared by researchers at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation (OMRF) and the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center (OUHSC) primarily as well as other researchers in Oklahoma. Our biomedical research interests include, but are not limited to, cancer biology, neurological disorders and cardiovascular pathologies.

Our research target themes are addressed with techniques such as basic morphological MRI (e.g. T1, T2 imaging), dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE) to establish location and extent of pathological lesions, MR angiography (MRA) to visualize vascularization, functional MRI (fMRI) to monitor tissue/organ response given a challenge function, and MR spectroscopy (MRS) to follow metabolic changes during a disease processes.

A particular strength of the facility is recent developments in the use of molecular targeting agents, which couple a MRI contrast agent (such as gadolinium complexes or ferromagnetic particles) with antibodies specific for cellular receptors or other antigens. This form of contrast enhanced imaging, allows in vivo visualization of molecular events. Many of the studies utilize transgenic murine models. The use of transgenic mice has dramatically advanced our ability to analyze and understand the molecular basis of various diseases. However, we are not limited to mice. Subjects up to approximately 20 cm in axial diameter may be imaged.

The Oklahoma INBRE, OMRF COBRE, and OCAST (Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology) funding provides the facility with infrastructure funds for investigators to obtain in vivo non-invasive functional, morphological and molecular information on various disease models focusing on neurological diseases and cancer detection and therapeutic agent assessments, and cardiovascular disease.

2019

Ahn B, Smith N, Saunders D, Ranjit R, Kneis P, Towner RA, Van Remmen H. Using MRI to measure in vivo free radical production and perfusion dynamics in a mouse model of elevated oxidative stress and neurogenic atrophy. Redox Biol 26:101308, 2019 August, PMID: 31470261

Jog NR, McClain MT, Heinlen LD, Gross T, Towner R, Guthridge JM, Axtell RC, Pardo G, Harley JB, James JA. Epstein Barr virus nuclear antigen 1 (EBNA-1) peptides recognized by adult multiple sclerosis patient sera induce neurologic symptoms in a murine model. J Autoimmun:102332, 2019 September, PMID: 31515129

Kirk RA, Kesner RP, Wang LM, Wu Q, Towner RA, Hoffman JM, Morton KA. Lipopolysaccharide exposure in a rat sepsis model results in hippocampal amyloid-β plaque and phosphorylated tau deposition and corresponding behavioral deficits. Geroscience, 2019 August, PMID: 31473912

Kramer KE, Ross CJ, Laurence DW, Babu AR, Wu Y, Towner RA, Mir A, Burkhart HM, Holzapfel GA, Lee CH. An investigation of layer-specific tissue biomechanics of porcine atrioventricular valve anterior leaflets. Acta Biomater, 2019 June, PMID: 31260822, PMCID: PMC6717680

Laurence D, Ross C, Jett S, Johns C, Echols A, Baumwart R, Towner R, Liao J, Bajona P, Wu Y, Lee CH. An investigation of regional variations in the biaxial mechanical properties and stress relaxation behaviors of porcine atrioventricular heart valve leaflets. J Biomech 83:16-27, 2019 January, PMID: 30497683

Laurence D, Ross C, Jett S, Johns C, Echols A, Baumwart R, Towner R, Liao J, Bajona P, Wu Y, Lee CH. Regional biaxial mechanical data of the mitral and tricuspid valve anterior leaflets. Data Brief 24:103961, 2019 May, PMID: 31194001, PMCID: PMC6545396

Lee CH, Laurence DW, Ross CJ, Kramer KE, Babu AR, Johnson EL, Hsu MC, Aggarwal A, Mir A, Burkhart HM, Towner RA, Baumwart R, Wu Y. Mechanics of the Tricuspid Valve-From Clinical Diagnosis/Treatment, In-Vivo and In-Vitro Investigations, to Patient-Specific Biomechanical Modeling. Bioengineering (Basel) 6, 2019 May, PMID: 31121881, PMCID: PMC6630695

Ross CJ, Laurence DW, Richardson J, Babu AR, Evans LE, Beyer EG, Childers RC, Wu Y, Towner RA, Fung KM, Mir A, Burkhart HM, Holzapfel GA, Lee CH. An investigation of the glycosaminoglycan contribution to biaxial mechanical behaviours of porcine atrioventricular heart valve leaflets. J R Soc Interface 16:20190069, 2019 July, PMID: 31266416, PMCID: PMC6685018

Towner RA, Saunders D, Smith N, Gulej R, McKenzie T, Lawrence B, Morton KA. Anti-inflammatory agent, OKN-007, reverses long-term neuroinflammatory responses in a rat encephalopathy model as assessed by multi-parametric MRI: implications for aging-associated neuroinflammation. Geroscience, 2019 September, PMID: 31478121

Towner RA, Smith N, Saunders D, Brown CA, Cai X, Ziegler J, Mallory S, Dozmorov MG, Coutinho De Souza P, Wiley G, Kim K, Kang S, Kong DS, Kim YT, Fung KM, Wren JD, Battiste J. OKN-007 Increases temozolomide (TMZ) Sensitivity and Suppresses TMZ-Resistant Glioblastoma (GBM) Tumor Growth. Transl Oncol 12:320-335, 2019 February, PMID: 30468988, PMCID: PMC6251232

Ziegler J, Zalles M, Smith N, Saunders D, Lerner M, Fung KM, Patel M, Wren JD, Lupu F, Battiste J, Towner RA. Targeting ELTD1, an angiogenesis marker for glioblastoma (GBM), also affects VEGFR2: molecular-targeted MRI assessment. Am J Nucl Med Mol Imaging 9:93-109, 2019 February, PMID: 30911439, PMCID: PMC6420708

2018

Dong J, Saunders D, Silasi-Mansat R, Yu L, Zhu H, Lupu F, Towner R, Dong Y, Chen H. Therapeutic efficacy of a synthetic epsin mimetic peptide in glioma tumor model: uncovering multiple mechanisms beyond the VEGF-associated tumor angiogenesis. J Neurooncol 138:17-27, 2018 May, PMID: 29357089, PMCID: PMC5930063

Greenwood-Van Meerveld B, Mohammadi E, Latorre R, Truitt ER 3rd, Jay GD, Sullivan BD, Schmidt TA, Smith N, Saunders D, Ziegler J, Lerner M, Hurst R, Towner RA. Preclinical Animal Studies of Intravesical Recombinant Human Proteoglycan 4 as a Novel Potential Therapy for Diseases Resulting From Increased Bladder Permeability. Urology 116:230.e1-230.e7, 2018 June, PMID: 29545038

Hopiavuori BR, Deák F, Wilkerson JL, Brush RS, Rocha-Hopiavuori NA, Hopiavuori AR, Ozan KG, Sullivan MT, Wren JD, Georgescu C, Szweda L, Awasthi V, Towner R, Sherry DM, Anderson RE, Agbaga MP. Homozygous Expression of Mutant ELOVL4 Leads to Seizures and Death in a Novel Animal Model of Very Long-Chain Fatty Acid Deficiency. Mol Neurobiol 55:1795-1813, 2018 February, PMID: 29168048, PMCID: PMC5820379

Jett S, Laurence D, Kunkel R, Babu AR, Kramer K, Baumwart R, Towner R, Wu Y, Lee CH. An investigation of the anisotropic mechanical properties and anatomical structure of porcine atrioventricular heart valves. J Mech Behav Biomed Mater 87:155-171, 2018 November, PMID: 30071486

Jett S, Laurence D, Kunkel R, Babu AR, Kramer K, Baumwart R, Towner R, Wu Y, Lee CH. Biaxial mechanical data of porcine atrioventricular valve leaflets. Data Brief 21:358-363, 2018 October, PMID: 30364794, PMCID: PMC6197746

Srivastava A, Amreddy N, Razaq M, Towner R, Zhao YD, Ahmed RA, Munshi A, Ramesh R. Exosomes as Theranostics for Lung Cancer. Adv Cancer Res 139:1-33, 2018 January, PMID: 29941101

Towner RA, Saunders D, Smith N, Towler W, Cruz M, Do S, Maher JE, Whitaker K, Lerner M, Morton KA. Assessing long-term neuroinflammatory responses to encephalopathy using MRI approaches in a rat endotoxemia model. Geroscience 40:49-60, 2018 February, PMID: 29417380, PMCID: PMC5832664

Towner RA, Smith N. In Vivo and In Situ Detection of Macromolecular Free Radicals Using Immuno-Spin Trapping and Molecular Magnetic Resonance Imaging. Antioxid Redox Signal 28:1404-1415, 2018 May, PMID: 29084431

Wang LM, Wu Q, Kirk RA, Horn KP, Ebada Salem AH, Hoffman JM, Yap JT, Sonnen JA, Towner RA, Bozza FA, Rodrigues RS, Morton KA. Lipopolysaccharide endotoxemia induces amyloid-β and p-tau formation in the rat brain. Am J Nucl Med Mol Imaging 8:86-99, 2018 April, PMID: 29755842, PMCID: PMC5944824

Xia D, Yang Q, Fung KM, Towner RA, Smith N, Saunders D, Greenwood-Van Meerveld B, Kropp BP, Madihally SV, Lin HK. Immunomodulatory response of layered small intestinal submucosa in a rat bladder regeneration model. J Biomed Mater Res B Appl Biomater, 2018 December, PMID: 30521124

Yang Q, Xia D, Towner RA, Smith N, Saunders D, Fung KM, Aston CE, Greenwood-Van Meerveld B, Hurst RE, Madihally SV, Kropp BP, Lin HK. Reduced urothelial regeneration in rat bladders augmented with permeable porcine small intestinal submucosa assessed by magnetic resonance imaging. J Biomed Mater Res B Appl Biomater 106:1778-1787, 2018 July, PMID: 28901710

Advanced Magnetic Resonance Center, MS 60
Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation
825 NE 13th Street
Oklahoma City, OK 73104

Phone: (405) 271-7123
Fax: (405) 271-7254
Email: Debra-Saunders@omrf.org