Sonodynamic therapy
A drug that does nothing until ultrasound hits it, then kills the cells that took it up. Being tested in brain tumours because sound reaches where light cannot.
5-ALA accumulates as protoporphyrin IX in glioma cells; focused or diffuse ultrasound then generates reactive oxygen species locally. Alpheus Medical is running a phase 2 in newly diagnosed glioblastoma with adjuvant temozolomide (NCT07225621, recruiting) after a completed phase 1 (NCT05362409); Insightec's ExAblate platform completed a phase 2 (NCT04845919) and investigator studies are recruiting in recurrent glioblastoma (NCT06039709). No randomised survival data exist yet.
How it works
A sonosensitiser concentrates in tumour cells; ultrasound induces cavitation and reactive oxygen species that kill sensitised cells while sparing normal brain.
- Ultrasound penetrates deep tissue, unlike light
- Uses a sensitiser already approved for fluorescence-guided surgery
- Non-invasive and repeatable
- No phase 3 or survival data
- Sensitiser uptake varies across a heterogeneous tumour
- Treatment planning and dosimetry are immature
Latest papers
topQuery for this technology: (TITLE:"Sonodynamic therapy" OR ABSTRACT:"Sonodynamic therapy") 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 Sonodynamic therapy, not a curated reading list.
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