PROGRAM FOR EPITHELIAL CELL PROLIFERATION

THIS PROJECT WILL DEVELOP A COMPUTER PROGRAM FOR FUNCTIONAL ASSESSMENT OF EPITHELIAL TISSUE IN THE GASTROINTESTINAL (GI)TRACT. THE COMPUTER PROGRAM RELATING IMAGE ANALYSIS TO EPITHELIAL TISSUE KINETICS AND REGENERATION WILL BE IMPLEMENTED ON THE EXISTING LOATS ASSOCIATES, INC., PORTABLE COMPUTER ENDOSCOPIC IMAGE ACQUISITION STATION ON WHICH ULCERS CAN BE VIEWED IN REAL TIME AND IN TRUE COLOR BY RESEARCHERS AND CLINICIANS AS A CONSEQUENCE OF A NORMAL GI EXAMINATION. SPECIFIC ALGORITHMS WILL BE DEVELOPED THAT WILL PROVIDE QUANTITATIVE INFORMATION ON: (1) ULCER-HEALING KINETICS, AREA, AND AREA PROPERTIES; (2) FOURIER SHAPE CHARACTERISTICS; (3) COLOR AND TEXTURE MEASUREMENTS; AND (4)SURFACE DEPTH. A STUDY OF RESULTS WILL BE CONDUCTED THAT WILL CHARACTERIZE THE KINETICS AND REGENERATION RATES OF EPITHELIAL TISSUE AS MEASURED IN THE ULCER-HEALING PROCESS. PHASE II WILL INCLUDE THE EFFECTS OF EXOGENOUS AGENTS, ACCOMMODATION OF AN EXPANDED RANGE OF IMAGE ACQUISITION MODALITIES, AND PRODUCTION DEVELOPMENT OF A COMMERCIAL LOW-COST PACKAGE FOR BOTH RESEARCH AND CLINICAL USE.