Occitan

The Occitan hub joined the FLI infrastructure on June 1, 2020, at the same time as 2 other hubs.

It brings together 5 imaging platforms located in Toulouse and Montpellier, under the joint supervision of the University of Toulouse Paul Sabatier III and the University of Montpellier.

Open to academic and industrial research partnerships, our imaging facilities cover the full spectrum of in vivo imaging modalities (MRI, nuclear, ultrasound, X-ray and optical for human and animal applications).

In terms of pre-clinical imaging research, we work in Toulouse with PET-CT imaging equipment(NanoScan Mediso), 7T MRI (Pharmascan Biospec 7T Bruker MRI/MRS), ultra-fast ultrasound (Vevo2100, Visualsonics) and echoelastograph (Aixplorer Supersonic Imagine) on the CREFRE-Anexplo (Centre Régional d’Exploration Fonctionnelle et Ressources Expérimentales) non-invasive exploration platform, on the Oncopole and Rangueil hospital sites.

In Montpellier, the IPAM(Imagerie du Petit Animal Montpellier) platform of the UAR BioCampus is equipped with a high-resolution ultrasound imaging system (vevo 3100, visualsonics) and a high-resolution photo-acoustic imaging system(vevo LAZR-X, visualsonics) on the site of the PhyMedExp unit. In addition, a nano SPECT-CT imaging system (Mediso) and 2D bioluminescence and fluorescence optical imaging systems (Ivis Lumina II), on the technical platform of theIRCM (Institut de Recherche en Cancérologie de Montpellier). On the University site, the BNIF (BioNanoImaging Foundry) platform completes the imaging offering with a 9.4T MRI, two3T MRIs with vertical and horizontal magnets, and a Micro-CT. It also has a PET-CT system (Médiso), again on the IRCM technical platform.

For clinical imaging, both cities have dedicated research platforms. In Montpellier, the i2fh platform, located at CHU Gui de Chauliac, is equipped with a 3T MRI (PRISMA Siemens), while in Toulouse, theUMR ToNIC (Toulouse NeuroImaging Center) MRI platform at CHU Purpan is equipped with a 3T MRI (Philips). The latter is also active in pre-clinical research, imaging large animals.

Key imaging expertise and know-how developed as part of FLI’s scientific activities

The scientific expertise associated with preclinical in vivo imaging systems is mainly focused on non-invasive, longitudinal monitoring of cancer progression, to test the long-term effect of new drugs and new therapeutic targets on the IPAM/IRCM platform, but also on the study of the major physiological systems of organisms, IPAM/PhyMedExp (cardiology, neurology…). The BNIF platform boasts expertise in pre-clinical imaging on animal and plant models, with the possibility of exporting equipment and know-how directly to the field. In addition, the Toulouse site has developed expertise in oncology, metabolism, cardiovascular, infection imaging and neuroscience imaging.

In terms of clinical research, Le Node Occitan has recognized expertise in neuroscience, particularly in the field of imaging biomarkers for brain pathologies (Parkinson’s syndrome, Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis, psychiatry) and in oncology. We also have expertise in the exploration of the whole human body, both in healthy subjects and in clinical settings.

Preclinical and clinical imaging platforms / Location/ scientific leaders :

BioNanoImaging Foundry, University of Montpellier, Triolet site, Building 50

Manager: Christophe Goze-Bac

IPAM-U1046platform (ultrasound, Doppler and photoacoustics), CHU Arnaud de Villeneuve site. Manager: Pierre Sicard

IPAM-IRCMplatform (SPECT-CT and bioluminescence/fluorescence optical imaging), Institut de Recherche en Cancérologie de Montpellier site – U1194. Manager: Jean-Pierre Pouget

CREFRE-Anexplo (Regional Center for Functional Exploration and Experimental Resources)

Multimodal in vivo imaging platform dedicated to small animals, 2 sites: Oncopole & CHU Rangueil. Manager: Carine Pestourie

Montpellier University Hospital Functional Imaging Platform, Gui de Chauliac University Hospital.

Manager: Emmanuelle Le Bars

Plateau technique IRM Toulouse NeuroImagingCenter (ToNIC), Pavillon Baudot CHU Purpan.

Manager: Hélène Gros-Dagnac/Nathalie Vayssière

Research laboratories supported by the node’s platforms :

Coulomb Laboratory Montpellier University https://coulomb.umontpellier.fr/

ToNIC UMRS1214 Inserm UT3 https://tonic.inserm.fr/

UMR5549 CNRS UT3 CERCo https://cerco.cnrs.fr/les-equipes/plateau-irm/

UMRS 1037 Inserm UT3 https://www.univ-tlse3.fr/structures-de-recherche/umr-1037-centre-de-recherche-en-cancerologie-de-toulouse

IRCM U1194 https://www.ircm.fr/

Pi-R3 tray https://tonic.inserm.fr/plateaux-techniques/pi-r3-2/pi-r3/