Sound Waves Used to Breach Brain's Defences and Attack Deadly Tumours
Written by AI from sciencedaily.com's report. Not checked by a person.
University of Virginia researchers have developed a technique using focused ultrasound and microRNA-loaded nanoparticles to penetrate the blood-brain barrier and suppress multiple cancer-driving genes in glioblastoma, extending survival in animal tests.
Scientists at the University of Virginia Comprehensive Cancer Center, led by Dr Roger Abounader, have published a promising new approach to treating glioblastoma — the most common and lethal primary brain tumour, killing over 13,000 Americans annually. The strategy, published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, uses MRI-guided focused ultrasound to vibrate tiny microbubbles circulating in the brain's blood vessels, temporarily and non-invasively opening the blood-brain barrier (BBB) — the protective shield that blocks most drugs from reaching brain tissue. Through that opening, the team delivers nanoparticles loaded with microRNAs (miRNAs), short genetic molecules that can simultaneously suppress multiple genes driving tumour growth, including genes for which no drugs currently exist. In animal trials, the treatment slowed tumour growth and extended survival. The advantage over existing therapies is the ability to attack many cancer-promoting pathways at once, rather than targeting a single protein that the tumour can mutate around. The University of Virginia has also partnered with the Charlottesville-based Focused Ultrasound Foundation to launch the FUSION Centre — the world's first centre dedicated to combining focused ultrasound with cancer immunotherapy. The team hopes to move toward human clinical trials.
