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.

Advanced Magnetic Resonance Center

2018

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. 2018 Feb 7. PMCID:PMC5832664

*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. 2018 Jan 22.PMID:29357089

2017

Towner R, Smith N. In vivo and in situ detection of macromolecular free radicals using immuno-spin trapping and molecular MRI. Antioxid Redox Signal. 2017 Oct 30. PMID:29084431 

Ziegler J, Bastian A, Lerner M, Bailey-Downs L, Saunders D, Smith N, Sutton J, Battiste JD, Ihnat MA, Gangjee A, Towner RA. AG488 as a therapy against gliomas.  Oncotarget. 2017 May 30. PMID: 28621261

*Barboza E, Hudson J, Chang WP, Kovats S, Towner RA, Silasi-Mansat R, Lupu F, Kent C, Griffin TM. Pro-fibrotic infrapatellar fat pad remodeling without M1-macrophage polarization precedes knee osteoarthritis in diet-induced obese mice. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2017 2017 Jun;69(6):1221-1232. PMCID: PMC5449220

Dong Y, Fernandes C, Liu Y, Wu Y, Wu H, Brophy ML, Deng L, Song K, Wen A, Wong S, Yan D, Towner R, Chen H. Role of endoplasmic reticulum stress signaling in diabetic endothelial dysfunction and atherosclerosis. Diab Vasc Dis Res. 2017 Jan;14(1):14-23.  Review. PMCID: PMC5161113

*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. 2017 Nov 22. PMID:29168048

* publications by more than one department or program

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