St. Jude on Imaging: 5 Discoveries to Explore

Hi, I’m Dr. Selene Koo from the St. Jude Department of Pathology, and here are 5 Discoveries to Explore about Imaging.

Discovery One

Using cryo-electron microscopy, or cryo-EM, Dr. Chia-Hsueh Lee captured images of transporters and ion channels involved in neuronal communication. Their team solved the structure of VMAT2 in different states, illustrating that inhibitors can bind different shapes of these neuronal transporters. 

Find out more: Imaging technologies give researchers an atomic-level view.

Discovery Two

Using fluorescence microscopy, scientists from the St. Jude Neuroimaging Lab and the lab of Dr. David Solecki were able to watch the interaction of specific proteins as a neuron crawled inward from its birthplace in the developing brain, learning that these proteins are essential for normal brain development. 

Find out more: A light in the dark: Illuminating the biology of catastrophic pediatric diseases with fluorescence microscopy.

Discovery Three 

Recently, Dr. Jason Chiang and neuropathology colleagues at St. Jude found that combining analysis of histology and molecular features generates the most informative diagnosis for risk stratification and therapy selection in young patients with a type of brain tumor called high-grade glioma. 

Find out more: Histology detectives magnify the clinical and research mission of St. Jude. 

Discovery Four 

Using magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI, Dr. Puneet Bagga is studying the metabolic vulnerabilities of a pediatric brain tumor, called diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma, by mapping metabolites, such as lactate, glucose and free amines, to noninvasively evaluate responses to potential targeted therapies. 

Find out more: Imaging provides a front row seat to metabolic reactions. 

Discovery Five

At St. Jude, Dr. Zachary Abramson, Dr. Andrew Davidoff and their colleagues are using virtual reality technology to create 3D models of tumors, providing an unparalleled view of nuanced connections between tissues to aid in planning for surgery or other procedures. 

Find out more: Seeing is believing: Bringing virtual reality into the clinic.