CRC1366

Z02 project has successfully established an integrated in vivo/ex vivo imaging platform accessible to all members of the CRC. The platform includes state of the art in vivo molecular imaging techniques and tissue-based visualization techniques including slide consultation service, phenotyping of new mouse models and will be complemented with tissue-based multiplex high-resolution imaging applying KODEX and artificial intelligence (AI)-linked analysis of molecular imaging in small animals. Z02 will further establish a fully integrated longitudinal database for old mice including detailed in vivo and ex vivo analysis of rodents at the age of at least eighteen months derived from projects of the CRC members. This platform will include molecular imaging analysis and AI-based identification of age-related changes in biological processes, correlated with detailed histopathological tissue analysis on strain-dependent aging processes with a strong focus on vascular biology but also organ-dependent changes, background lesions, inflammatory processes, fibrosis development and neoplastic processes. This new platform will provide one of the largest available integrated databases and tissue archive for aged mice in Europe and create a solid basement for joint projects on the in vivo/ex vivo investigation of vascular aging processes in mice. The integrated imaging database will be implemented into already established cloud-based analytics infrastructures and acquired data will be in depth analyzed and quantified by pre-trained Convolutional-Neural-Networks (CNNs) and Machine-Learning Classifiers for Radiomics features.