J Neuro-Oncol: Focused ultrasound promises to treat the deadliest brain tumor.

, June 29, 2020 /PRNewswirebioON,BioValley, an innovative application of focused ultrasound, pioneered by the University of Virginia School of Medicine, has shown promise to fight malignant gliomas, the deadliest brain tumors, and may also prove effective against other hard-to-treat cancersthe technology first uses a drug that makes them sensitive to sound waves and bombards them with focused ultrasoundSound waves create tiny bubbles inside cancer cells, causing them to diethe work is still in its early stages, and researchers are testing the concept on cell samples from laboratory dishesBut in a new scientific paper, the researchers said their findings show "great potential for treating malignant brain tumors and other challengingtumorsindications", such as lung cancer,breast cancerandmelanomaThey predict that the technology will be particularly useful for treating cancers in sensitive parts of the body that are difficult to touchThe results of the study were published in journal Neuro-Oncology, entitled "Investigation of the tumor-cynoidal effects of sonodynamic therapy in the malignant glioblastoma brain tumors"Picture Source:Journal of Neuro-Oncology
"Focused ultrasound acoustic therapy provides a new treatment for patients with malignant brain tumors," said Dr Jason Sheehan, a health neurosurgeon at UVA "This approach combines two approved options, the drug 5-ALA and focused ultrasound, to produce powerful tumors lethal for several different types of glioblastoma." malignant glioblastoma glioblastoma is the most common malignant brain tumor in adults Usually within 12 to 18 months of diagnosis, the disease inevitably leads to death This malignant tumor lack effective treatment, so new treatment methods are urgently needed to assess the potential of their new focused ultrasound technology, UVA researchers looked at its effects on mouse and human cell samples They examined the "sonic hypersensitivity" drug 5-ALA, focused ultrasound, and a combination of the two on the cell's killer effect, and found that the combination of the two was more effective than being used alone The drug reduced the number of live cancer cells by 5%, while focused ultrasound reduced the number by 16% Together, the decline was 47% "Focused ultrasound has the potential to improve the prognosis of patients with complex brain tumors and other neurosurgical lesions," Sheehan said "We may just be the tip of the iceberg when it comes to focusing on ultrasound intracranial symptoms." many applications use bubbles to destroy cancer focus ultrasound depend on the ability of this technique, which produces tiny hot spots in the body to burn off harmful cells or destroy them to the point where they are strong enough to trigger an immune response It is worth noting that Sheehan's method uses another method to destroy cancer cells without generating heat in order to test the new technology, researchers must develop custom equipment so they can focus on cell samples From scratch, they did so using a 3d printer and software from the Charlottesville-based focus ultrasound Foundation The foundation is a long-time supporter of focused ultrasound research in UVA and elsewhere researchers say the new platform will drive future focused ultrasound research Using it, scientists can quickly screen cell types and sound-sensitive drugs like those used in UVA studies They say it will also benefit preclinical and clinical trials Picture Source: Journal of Neuro-Oncology groundbreaking focused ultrasound Although the study of sonic hypersensitivity is still in its early stages, Sheehan is conducting a separate clinical trial of glioblastoma to study the efficacy of different focused ultrasound methods The study will assess the technology's potential to briefly open the brain's protective barrier so that doctors can treat tumor that are not normally possible Sheehan's research is part of UVA's broader effort to explore the potential of focused ultrasound to treat a variety of diseases For example, UVA researchers are studying the technology's ability to treat breast cancer and epilepsy pioneering research by Dr Jeff Elias, a UVA neurosurgeon, has been The FDA approved focused ultrasound to treat primary tremor, a common motor disorder, and tremors caused by Parkinson's disease Focused ultrasound therapy for these diseases is now available to the right patients (BioValleyBioon.com) References: -TopEr-Ultrasound shows Promise Against Desalst brain tumor Kimball Sheehan et al, The Siochiidal effects of sonorapy the ininmalignant glioblastoma brain tumors, of The Si-George Si-Oncology (2020) DOI: 10.1007/s11060-020-03504-w
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