ROCHESTER, N.Y., May 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- VirtualScopics, Inc. , a leading developer of image-related biomarkers, announced today that the company co-authored three studies presented at the 14th International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (ISMRM) Scientific Meeting & Exhibition in Seattle, on May 6 - 12 . VirtualScopics co- authors were Saara Totterman, M.D., Ph.D., chief medical officer; Jose Tamez- Pena, PhD., chief technical officer; and Theresa Tuthill, senior imaging scientist.
The first presentation was "3D Surface Map Analysis of dGEMRIC Changes in the Knee." In this study, delayed gadolinium-enhanced MRI of cartilage (dGEMRIC) was used to image knee cartilage of five female marathon runners at several time-points before and after running a marathon. A 3D delta map technique developed by VirtualScopics was applied to the dGEMRIC data, and shown to be effective in visualizing and measuring changes in cartilage tissue over time, including negative change one week after running the marathon and recuperation to pre-marathon conditions within six weeks.
"The deterioration of cartilage associated with the progression of osteoarthritis leads to chronic and debilitating pain for millions of sufferers worldwide who have the disease," said Bob Klimasewski, president and CEO of VirtualScopics. "Image analysis techniques such as 3D delta maps can visualize and measure minute changes in cartilage tissue over time. In addition, they offer great promise in clinical trials for assessing the efficacy of drugs that can modify and slow the progression of osteoarthritis - and get those drugs to market faster."
The second presentation, entitled, "High-Resolution in vivo MR Imaging of Mouse Knee on a Whole-Body 3-Tesla System," reports on the development of a high-resolution MR imaging technique that is able to clearly visualize arthritic changes in the knee joints of mice. This technique shows great potential for longitudinal studies of repair response following therapeutic treatment for arthritis.
Finally, "MRI Quantification of Liver Fat in an Obese Population," describes the development of an MRI technique which provides a stable, useful and non-invasive tool to grade hepatic steatosis (elevated fat content) associated with liver disease. This procedure can be useful for future studies on the pathogenesis and health implications of hepatic steatosis.
Ten of the top fifteen global pharmaceutical companies have relied on VirtualScopics' unique solutions to maximize their understanding of drug performance and disease progression in their clinical trials and research projects.
About VirtualScopics, Inc.
VirtualScopics, Inc. is a provider of advanced medical image analysis services. The company evolved from research first carried out at the University of Rochester Medical Center and School of Engineering. VirtualScopics has created a suite of image analysis tools used in detecting and analyzing specific structures in volumetric medical images, as well as characterizing minute changes in structures over time, providing vital information to support clinical trials and diagnostic applications. The firm's proprietary software algorithms can assemble hundreds of separate medical images taken during an MRI session into a single, three-dimensional model, bringing a new and previously unobtainable source of data to clinical researchers. For more information about VirtualScopics, visit www.virtualscopics.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
The statements contained in this press release that are not purely historical are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and are intended to be covered by the safe harbors created thereby. Forward-looking statements deal with the Company's current plans, intentions, beliefs and expectations. Investors are cautioned that all forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, those discussed from time to time in reports filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
VirtualScopics, Inc.CONTACT: Tracy Bagatelle-Black for VirtualScopics, Inc, +1-661-263-1842 ortracy@bagatelleblack.com
Web site: http://www.virtualscopics.com//
