The Junior Research Group Structural and Functional Imaging (JRG-SFI)
The Junior Research Group Structural and Functional Imaging (JRG-SFI) is one of the research groups of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL).
The JRG-SFI focuses on structural and functional imaging of the airways and airway diseases. It is well accepted that pulmonary function testing (PFT) as currently used, is relatively insensitive to early lung disease or to changes under therapy. The goal of our research group is therefore, to develop new imaging methods to assess epithelial function under healthy and diseased conditions, to allow a more direct quantification of regional airway function. The main outline for the JRG-SFI covers pre-clinical imaging, but also translation of newly derived evidences into clinical imaging procedures.
("Dynamic contrast enhanced MRI allows insight into the cardio-pulmonary interaction even without exposure to ionizing radiation. The video shows a 4D acquisition during the passage of a contrast agent bolus through the right heart into the lungs and then back to the systemic circulation.")
Dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) will be the main focus in cooperative project with Dr. Wolfram Stiller, physicist at the DIR. This innovative method has the potential for quantitative imaging of regional lung perfusion, and thus airway function. To accomplish this task, it is necessary to develop new models for lung perfusion and to adapt these to the conditions of DECT imaging. Subsequently, measurements in chest phantoms, animal experiments, and finally the introduction into clinical settings in patients are planned.
Research interests
- Morpho-functional MRI of human cystic fibrosis lung disease
- Functional imaging of cystic fibrosis-like lung disease in mice
- Quantitative Dual-Energy computed tomography for the modeling of lung perfusion
- Quantification of airway and parenchymal disease in obstructive lung disease
- Ex vivo porcine lung phantom
Project Team:
Dr. med. Mark O. Wielpütz, Group leader
Dr. rer. nat. Oliver Weinheimer, Physicist
Dr. med. Betram Jobst, Radiologist
Dipl. Phys. Simon Triphan, Physicist
Doctoral Students:
Diana Bardarova, Cand. med.
Sonja Gehlen, Cand. med.
Dipl.-Phys. Jens Hansen, Ph.D Student
Mila Trauth, Cand. med.
Jacek Wroblewski, Cand. med.
Selected Publications:
- M. O. Wielpütz , O. Weinheimer, M. Eichinger, M. Wiebel, J. Biederer, H.-U. Kauczor, C. P. Heußel, M. A. Mall, M. Puderbach. Pulmonary emphysema in cystic fibrosis detected by densitometry on chest multidetector computed tomography. PLoS One 2013 8(8):e73142
- M. O. Wielpütz, M. Eichinger, O. Weinheimer, S. Ley, M. A. Mall, M. Wiebel, A. Bischoff, H.-U. Kauczor, C. P. Heußel, M. Puderbach. Automatic airway analysis on MDCT in cystic fibrosis – correlation with pulmonary function testing. J Thorac Imaging 2013
- M. O. Wielpütz, M. Eichinger, Z. Zhou, K. Leotta, S. Hirtz, S. H. Bartling, W. Semmler, H.-U. Kauczor, M. Puderbach and M. A. Mall. In vivo monitoring of cystic fibrosis-like lung disease in mice by volumetric computed tomography. Eur Respir J 2011 38(5):1060-70
- S. R. Hopkins, M. O. Wielpütz and H.-U. Kauczor. Imaging Lung perfusion. J Appl Physiol 2012 113(2):328-39
- M. Eichinger, D.-E. Optazaite, A. Kopp-Schneider, C. Hintze, J. Biederer, A. Niemann, M. A. Mall, M. O. Wielpütz, H.-U. Kauczor and M. Puderbach. Morphologic and functional scoring of cysic fibrosis lung disease using MRI. Eur J Radiol 2012 38(5):1060-70
- H.-U. Kauczor, M. O. Wielpütz, M. Owsijewitsch and J. Ley-Zaporozhan. Computed Tomographic Imaging of the Airways in COPD and Asthma. J Thorac Imaging 2011 26(4), 290-300
- M. Wielpütz and H.-U. Kauczor. MRI of the lung – state of the art. Diagn Interven Radiol 2012 18(4):344-53