Focused-ultrasound blood-brain barrier opening
Sound waves plus microbubbles briefly open the brain's protective barrier so chemotherapy or antibodies can get to the tumour.
MR-guided (Insightec Exablate) or implantable (Carthera SonoCloud-9) ultrasound with intravenous microbubbles transiently and reversibly opens the BBB. Phase 1/2 trials show 4-6x higher brain concentrations of carboplatin, temozolomide, and albumin-bound paclitaxel, and enable liquid biopsy of glioma DNA released into blood. Efficacy trials (SonoCloud-9 with carboplatin, phase 3 SONOBIRD) are underway.
How it works
Acoustic cavitation of circulating microbubbles mechanically loosens endothelial tight junctions for several hours.
- Non-invasive or single implant
- Drug-agnostic delivery enhancement
- Enables brain liquid biopsy
- Volume treated per session
- Efficacy unproven
- Repeated sessions needed
Latest papers
topQuery for this technology: (TITLE:"Focused-ultrasound blood-brain barrier opening" OR ABSTRACT:"Focused-ultrasound blood-brain barrier opening") AND (cancer OR tumor OR tumour OR oncology OR carcinoma OR lymphoma OR leukemia OR leukaemia OR myeloma OR sarcoma OR melanoma OR glioma). Results are unfiltered search hits about Focused-ultrasound blood-brain barrier opening, not a curated reading list.
Pages like this
not linked directly; found by shared links- TechnologyLaser interstitial thermal therapy (LITT)
Shares Blood-brain barrier (BBB), The blood–brain barrier & brain metastasis, MRI, The brain: barrier and sanctuary.
- IdeaA standard platform to get drugs into the brain: focused ultrasound plus shuttle-engineered therapeutics
Shares Insightec, Focused ultrasound & histotripsy, The brain: barrier and sanctuary, Glioma & glioblastoma.
- TechnologyCAR-T for glioma (IL13Rα2, GD2, EGFRvIII, multi-target)
Shares Open the barrier so engineered immune cells can enter the brain, Blood-brain barrier (BBB), The blood–brain barrier & brain metastasis, The brain: barrier and sanctuary.
- IdeaRobot-placed catheters and live imaging for drug infusion into brain tumours
Shares Blood-brain barrier (BBB), MRI, The brain: barrier and sanctuary, Glioma & glioblastoma.
- IdeaRead the spinal fluid to track brain tumours without opening the skull
Shares MRI, The brain: barrier and sanctuary, Liquid biopsy (ctDNA), Glioma & glioblastoma.
- ProductTemozolomide
Shares A skull ultrasound implant that opens the barrier at every cycle, Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University, The blood–brain barrier & brain metastasis, The brain: barrier and sanctuary.
- ProductLomustine (CCNU)
Shares Blood-brain barrier (BBB), The blood–brain barrier & brain metastasis, Glioma & glioblastoma.
- IdeaDeliver drugs and cells to the brain through the nose
Shares Blood-brain barrier (BBB), The brain: barrier and sanctuary, Glioma & glioblastoma.