In Vivo Imaging

As part of the JCET project, coordinated by JCET (POIG 2.2), the Laboratory of Endothelial Clinical Pharmacology was established as part of the then Second Department of Internal Medicine, Collegium Medicum of the Jagiellonian University (Skawińska 8). The Laboratory of Endothelial Clinical Pharmacology (which continues to function in its original location, or at the University Hospital in Krakow, ul. Jakubowskiego 2) conducts studies on humans using all the currently available techniques of non-invasive measurement of endothelial function.

Studies performed in this laboratory are primarily aimed at in vivo assessing the pathological changes in cardiac morphology and myocardial dysfunction as well as vascular wall function in the unique murine models of cardiovascular diseases. In the Laboratory advanced MRI techniques are used and developed, such as: molecular imaging with the use of contrast agents based on iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIO, USPIO), various techniques of myocardial function assessment (i.e. spin-tagging, perfusion measurements), diffusion imaging, MR elastography and functional imaging (fMRI).

The laboratory also performs non-invasive measurements of blood vessel stiffness and measurements of skin microcirculation using the original FMSF (Flow-Mediated Skin Fluorescence) method.

High field 9.4 T Bruker Biospec scanner is designed for biomedical research in the field of small animal magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy in vivo.
The device is equipped with a number of specialized probe-heads with different gradient and radiofrequency coils as well as the system for anesthesia and animal monitoring during experiments. The scanner allows to use various measurement techniques from the field of functional or molecular MRI and to perform experiments using other resonance nuclei (e.g. 31P, 19F).