Dara Kraitchman, MS, PhD, VMD

Professional Titles

• Cardiovascular Interventional Section Head
• Center for Image-Guided Animal Therapy Director

Primary Academic Title

Professor of Radiology and Radiological Science

Background

Centers and Institutes

• Cell Engineering, Institute for
• Computational Medicine, Institute for
• Image-Guided Animal Therapy, Center for

Clinical Trial Keywords

obesity embolization interventional radiology

Clinical Trials Summary

veterinary clinical trials

Recent News Articles and Media Coverage

• Could Canine Patients Help Find A Cure For One Of The Deadliest Cancers? WJZ Baltimore (February 4, 2020)

  One Health Company balances improving biomedical research and ethical animal testing, MedCity News (July 8, 2017)

  Johns Hopkins begins using high-tech equipment on pets, The Baltimore Sun (April 14, 2015)

  New Johns Hopkins University Center Brings Imaging Therapies To Pets, Johns Hopkins Medicine (March 16, 2015)

  The Dog and Cat Wing: Hospital Sets Up a Scanner Center for Pets, Scientific American (January 20, 2015)

  Human tech helping treat pets' pain, WBAL Baltimore (July 16, 2015)

  Otter the Labrador Retriever Gets an MRI, The Baltimore Sun (April 7, 2015)

  Johns Hopkins Offers Top-Of-The-Line Care For Pets, CBS Baltimore (March 19, 2015)

Additional Academic Titles

Professor of Molecular and Comparative Pathobiology

Research Interests

Development of Labeling Techniques for Cell Tracking and Drug/Protein Delivery, Imaging-Visible Embolics for the Treatment of Obesity and Cancer, Interventional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Techniques for Minimally Invasive Treatment, Non-Invasive Imaging for Early Diagnosis and Treatment of Cardiovascular Disease

Lab Website

Dara Kraitchman Laboratory - Lab Website

• The Kraitchman lab concentrates on clinical translation of minimally invasive imaging technology that uses new molecular imaging and nanomedicine techniques to enable stem cell tracking and enhanced engraftment as well as interventional radiology treatments for oncological applications. Recent research efforts in the lab have concentrated on developing x-ray visible stem cells for cardiovascular applications. Using multimodality imaging techniques, the research team confirms stem cell viability with PET and bioluminescence. Then, using conventional devices currently in clinical trials, Kraitchman's researchers image and target stem cells to the heart directly using MRI fluoroscopy with a specialized MRI-compatible device or x-ray fluoroscopic imager.  Novel embolics have been used in client-owned pets for the treatment of brain tumors, and MR-guided cryotherapy is being combined with immunotherapeutics for the treatment of osteosarcoma in dogs. The Kraitchman lab is also developing new devices for the treatment of benign and malignant masses in dogs and cats.

Research Summary

Dr. Kraitchman's research interests are concentrated on non-invasive imaging and minimally invasive treatment of cardiovascular disease and cancer. She has been actively involved in developing new methods to image myocardial function and perfusion using MRI. Current research interests are aimed at determining the optimal timing and method of administration of stem cells for cardiac regeneration using non-invasive MR fluoroscopic delivery and imaging. MRI, X-ray, and radiolabeling techniques include novel microencapsulation techniques to label stem cells to determine the location, quantity and biodistribution of stem cells after delivery as well as to noninvasively determine the efficacy of these therapies in acute myocardial infarction, peripheral arterial disease, and non-ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy.  Microencapsulation techniques are also used for enhanced stem cell engraftment.

She is also focused on the development of new animal models of human disease for noninvasive imaging studies and the development of promising new therapies in clinical trials for companion animals.  Novel embolics are being studied for the treatment of brain, lung, and bone cancer in pets with spontaneously occurring disease. Recent veterinary clinical trials are focusing on the combination of immunotherapy with cryoablation for the treatment of bone cancer. In addition, low-cost devices for third world countries are being repurposed for the veterinary market to enhance therapies for pets.

PubMed

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=Kraitchman%20DL

Selected Publications

• Kraitchman D, Kamel I, Weiss C and Georgiades C. Elucidation of percutaneously accessible lymph nodes in swine: A large animal model for interventional lymphatic research. J Vasc Interv Radiol. 2017; 28:451–456

• Fu Y, Azene N, Ehtiati T, Flammang A, Gilson WD, Gabrielson K, Weiss CR, Bulte JW, Johnston PV, Kraitchman DL :X-ray fusion with magnetic resonance image-guidance of intrapericardial delivery of microencapsulated human mesenchymal stem cells in immunocompetent swine. Radiology, 2014 272(2):427-437.

• Krimins R, Fritz J,Gainsburg L, Gavin P, Ihms EZ, Huso DL, Kraitchman DL. MR-Guided bone biopsy of a T11 vertebral body mass in a Rottweiler. J Amer Vet Med Assoc,2017 250(7):779-784

• Lauer AM, El-Sharkawy AM, Kraitchman DL, Edelstein WA. “MRI acoustic noise can harm experimental and companion animals.” J Magn Reson Imaging. 2012 Sep;36(3):743-7. doi: 10.1002/jmri.23653.

• Weiss CR, Fu Y, Beh C, Hsu C, Kedziorek D, Shin EJ, Arepally A, Kraitchman DL. Bariatric arterial embolization with calibrated radiopaque microspheres and an anti-reflux catheter suppresses weight gain and appetite-stimulating hormones in swine. J Vasc Interv Radiol. 2020; 31(9): 1483-1491

Honors

• Keynote Speaker, American College of Veterinary Radiology, 10/30/19
• Fellow, International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine, 6/2/15
• Distinguished Investigator, Academy of Radiology Research, 1/1/12
• Fellow, American College of Cardiology, 1/1/08

Memberships

• Affiliate Faculty in Institute for Computation Medicine
• Affiliate Faculty in Institute of Nanobiotechnology
• American Veterinary Medical Association
• Fellow of American College of Cardiology
• Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
• International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine
• Society of Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance

Additional Training

• Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland, 1983, Electrical Engineering
• National Institute of Health, Bethesda, MD, 1997, Individual National Research Service Award Fellowship