MONTREAL, CANADA, Sep 10 (MARKET WIRE) --
ART Advanced Research Technologies Inc. ("ART") (TSX: ARA), a Canadian
medical device company and a leader in optical molecular imaging products
for the healthcare and pharmaceutical industries, is pleased to announce
the sale of the optical molecular imaging Optix(R) MX2 system to the
California NanoSystems Institute (CNSI) at UCLA, in Los Angeles.
The CNSI will be using Optix as part of its cutting-edge research in the
development and evaluation of nanoparticles (known as quantum dots),
which act as sensitive probes that home in on specific biological
targets, all the time glowing in distinctive colors and functionalized
with various biological molecules including nucleic acids, proteins,
peptides, small compounds, as found in complex environments such as the
living cell.
Dr. Shimon Weiss, the head of the Single Molecule Biophysics Group at
UCLA and the director of the CNSI's Advanced Light
Microscopy/Spectroscopy Core Facility and Macro-Scale Imaging Core
Facility, and Dr. Laurent Bentolila, the cores' scientific director, are
leading this research. "In building our world class In Vivo Imaging
Shared Facility, we knew we wanted to have an ART Optix MX2 time-domain
based fluorescence imaging system as an important part of our
comprehensive collection of instrumentation for macro-scale molecular
imaging. We plan to leverage the Optix MX2's powerful combination of
unmatched sensitivity in the detection of quantum dots, as well as the
system's capabilities for fluorescence lifetime gating for multiplexing
signals, 3D reconstruction, and coregistration with microCT, to apply our
quantum dot compounds in a multitude of biological pathways in in vivo
models, and we are very pleased to have the Optix MX2 as part of those
plans," Dr. Weiss said.
"Semiconductor quantum dots have emerged as very sensitive optical probes
that can be used to target, detect, and image fundamental events that
occur within a biological system. Near-infrared quantum dots, such as
those capable of being detected by ART's Optix system, are proving to be
important tools for researchers who need to obtain enhanced signal
detection for deep tissue imaging. We are proud that the CNSI has
selected our unique optical imaging system, Optix, to be part of their
world-leading research and innovation in this important research area,"
said Sebastien Gignac, Chairman & CEO of ART. The CNSI facility at UCLA
will provide for the training of individuals such as basic research
scientists, clinicians, technologists, and support personnel interested
in learning the techniques and science of macro-scale imaging, including
both didactic and hands-on instruction.
About the Optix(R) system
Based on time-domain technology, which allows measurement of the light's
time of arrival, the Optix(R) in vivo optical molecular imaging device is
the most sensitive optical imager commercially available on the
preclinical market, allowing for detection of lower concentrations of
signals deeper inside the body. Unique to the Optix system is the ability
to recover fluorescence lifetime, which can be used to separate and
quantify probe distributions depending on their respective biochemical
environment. Also part of the Optix product offering is a CT fusion
software package allowing researchers to export the scan obtained using
Optix in DICOM format, and fuse it with microCT for a full 3D anatomical
reference.
About California NanoSystems Institute at UCLA
The California NanoSystems Institute (CNSI) is a research center at UCLA
whose mission is to encourage university collaboration with industry and
to enable the rapid commercialization of discoveries in nanosystems. CNSI
members who are on the faculty at UCLA represent a multi-disciplinary
team of some of the world's preeminent scientists. The work conducted at
the CNSI represents world-class expertise in five targeted areas of
nanosystems-related research including Renewable Energy; Environmental
Nanotechnology and Nanotoxicology; NanoBiotechnology and Biomaterials;
NanoMechanical and NanoFluidic systems; and NanoElectronics, Photonics
and Architectonics. The CNSI's new building on the campus of UCLA is home
to eight core facilities which will serve both academic and industry
collaborations. For more details, visit the Institute's web site at
www.cnsi.ucla.edu.
About ART
ART Advanced Research Technologies Inc. is a leader in molecular imaging
products for the healthcare and pharmaceutical industries. ART has
developed products in medical imaging, medical diagnostics, disease
research, and drug discovery with the goal of bringing new and better
treatments to patients faster. The Optix(R) optical molecular imaging
system, designed for monitoring physiological changes in living systems
at the preclinical study phases of new drugs, is used by industry and
academic leaders worldwide. The SoftScan(R) optical medical imaging
device is designed to improve the diagnosis and treatment of breast
cancer. Finally, the Fenestra(R) line of molecular imaging contrast
products provides image enhancement for a wide range of preclinical Micro
CT applications allowing scientists to see greater detail in their
imaging studies, with potential extension into other major imaging
modalities. ART is commercializing some of these products in a global
strategic alliance with GE Healthcare, a world leader in mammography and
imaging. ART's shares are listed on the TSX under the ticker symbol ARA.
For more information on ART, visit our website at www.art.ca.
This press release may contain forward-looking statements subject to
risks and uncertainties that would cause actual events to differ
materially from expectations. These risks and uncertainties are described
in ART's most recent Annual Information Form and the financial statements
for the year ended December 31, 2007, available on SEDAR (www.sedar.com).
Contacts:
ART Advanced Research Technologies Inc.
Jacques Bedard
Chief Financial Officer
jbedard@art.ca
ART Advanced Research Technologies Inc.
Dino DiCamillo, Vice President of Global Sales
and Marketing, Preclinical Imaging
514-832-0777
ddicamil@art.ca
www.art.ca
Copyright 2008, Market Wire, All rights reserved.
-0-
