For the rest of the world, sonography is just another diagnostic tool, typically used in prenatal check-ups or abdominal examinations. However, in the field of clinical studies, it is becoming one of latest therapeutic techniques in managing a variety of health conditions. Studies on the therapeutic value of sonography in managing fractures and ulcers have delivered very promising results. One of the latest studies to join them is a study on the therapeutic efficacy of MRI-monitored focused ultrasound (FUS) in delivering medication to the brain tissue.
Treating Cerebral Tumors
Brain cancer is one of the most difficult conditions to treat and manage medically. For most cancers, radiotherapy and chemotherapy are golden standards, because the cancer-ridden areas are easily accessible. Cancers like those found in the breast or throat can be easily reached surgically. Radiotherapy, a form of therapy that used a focused radiation directly on the area, can be used for these kinds of cancers as well. For other kinds such as lung and bone cancer where radiotherapy is rarely an option, chemotherapy can be done.
However, the brain is a different issue entirely. Surgically operating on brain tissue is very risky because the brain controls everything in the body. Taking tissue from the brain risks the patient developing a number of disabilities, sometimes even comatose- this often rules out surgical management. Radiotherapy is also out of the question, because focused radiation on the brain can damage a lot of healthy tissue and can cause even worse problems.
Typically, chemotherapy is an option for people with brain cancer. However, the blood-brain barrier that protects the brain often causes poor absorption of the chemotherapeutic medication, leading to poor outcomes even with surgical management.
However, the brain is a different issue entirely. Surgically operating on brain tissue is very risky because the brain controls everything in the body. Taking tissue from the brain risks the patient developing a number of disabilities, sometimes even comatose- this often rules out surgical management. Radiotherapy is also out of the question, because focused radiation on the brain can damage a lot of healthy tissue and can cause even worse problems.
Typically, chemotherapy is an option for people with brain cancer. However, the blood-brain barrier that protects the brain often causes poor absorption of the chemotherapeutic medication, leading to poor outcomes even with surgical management.
Sonography and Chemotherapy
A clinical study on animals was done in Hong Kong, where sonography was used adjunct to chemotherapeutic management of brain tumors, specifically glioblastomas. Ultrasounds are one of the most commonly-used diagnostic procedures because they pose little to no risk to the patient, since they only use sound waves in medical imaging of the body’s internal structures. Unlike x-rays and MRIs that use radiation, sonography is perfectly safe for people who have compromised immune systems. Find more information on sonography here.
The use of FUS with IV-injected microbubbles has been revealed to open the blood-brain barrier (BBB) which increased the permeability, improving the delivery of chemotherapeutic medication to the brain. This disruptive effect was monitored and found to be temporary and reversible, as well as posing no damage to neural cells. This makes the use of FUS very feasible in managing brain tumors.
The Hong Kong study showed that the use of FUS in disrupting the BBB was indeed effective (temporarily), for the delivery of both small and large molecules. This makes it very promising for the FUS-induced drug delivery to the brain tissue, particularly Temozolomide (TMZ) in preclinical brain tumor management. Non-invasive FUS treatment was able to disrupt the BBB in specific areas of the brain as well, with outcomes revealing significantly suppressed tumor growth and prolonged survival of the test subjects. This study shows great promise for brain tumor management in 2014.
The use of FUS with IV-injected microbubbles has been revealed to open the blood-brain barrier (BBB) which increased the permeability, improving the delivery of chemotherapeutic medication to the brain. This disruptive effect was monitored and found to be temporary and reversible, as well as posing no damage to neural cells. This makes the use of FUS very feasible in managing brain tumors.
The Hong Kong study showed that the use of FUS in disrupting the BBB was indeed effective (temporarily), for the delivery of both small and large molecules. This makes it very promising for the FUS-induced drug delivery to the brain tissue, particularly Temozolomide (TMZ) in preclinical brain tumor management. Non-invasive FUS treatment was able to disrupt the BBB in specific areas of the brain as well, with outcomes revealing significantly suppressed tumor growth and prolonged survival of the test subjects. This study shows great promise for brain tumor management in 2014.