Molecular And Translational Research

MR imaging and spectroscopy of small animals has been around for more than 3 decades and in fact preceded clinical MR in humans. With the advance of 'molecular imaging', the field has taken a new twist by strengthening the link of research on animal models with molecular biology at one side and with applications in translational research on humans on the other side. Given the wealth of research in small animal MR over the past and especially the explosive and very heterogeneous growth of the field today, it would be futile to attempt to present a comprehensive overview in a single book chapter. The authors have therefore limited the scope to some illustrative examples from their own research focusing on translational aspects and examples, where small animal MR has a direct link and implication to UHF-MR in humans. The rather eclectic selection is thus not meant to be representative and the omission of important topics like MR spectroscopy, functional imaging or research into brain ischemia to name just a few by no means meant to derogate the relevance of the extremely lively research efforts by the large variety of laboratories working in this field.