FUSF Funded Research Projects
MR-Guided Focused Ultrasound Ablation of Visceral Fat: A new treatment for metabolic syndrome
Principal Investigator: Charles L. Dumoulin, Ph.D., Professor & Director, Imaging Research Center, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
Co-Investigator: Janaka Wansapura, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center; Michelle Foster, Ph.D., Post Doctoral Fellow, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
Award: $100,000
Funding Period: March 15, 2011 – March 14, 2012
Abstract: The goal of this project is to develop a minimally invasive treatment for metabolic syndrome
associated with obesity. Metabolic syndrome includes diabetogenic, atherogenic, pro-thrombotic and
pro-inflammatory metabolic abnormalities; which often present during childhood. Patients with
obesity-induced metabolic syndrome have a high risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.
The most prevalent form of obesity-associated metabolic syndrome is related to the accumulation of
visceral fat, rather than subcutaneous fat or total body fat. Visceral fat and its resident macrophages
produce pro-inflammatory cytokines (e.g., necrosis factor-alpha, leptin, and interleukin-6) that are
implicated in chronic low-grade inflammation which subsequently lead to metabolic syndrome in the
obese. Recent animal studies show that loss of visceral fat may generate substantial improvements in
the metabolic risk factor profile. This notion has important clinical implications as it recognize visceral
adiposity as a therapeutic target for the management of metabolic syndrome in high-risk patients.
While lifestyle modifications in the form of caloric restriction, pharmacotherapy and bariatric surgery
have all been shown to provide improvement in metabolic risk factors associated with obesity, it is
not known if these improvements are maintained over time. Improvement also takes time, (i.e.,
several months to years) to show beneficial effects. More importantly none of the existing
interventions specifically target visceral fat which is thought to play a causative role in the metabolic
syndrome. Thus, in this application we will investigate de-bulking of visceral fat by thermal ablation as
a treatment option for obesity-induced metabolic syndrome.
We hypothesize that HIFU treatment of visceral fat can improve insulin action in obese rats and
provide a non-surgical alternative to visceral fat resection. To test this hypothesis, we will design,
build, and validate an MR-guided focused ultrasound system for the ablation of visceral fat in a
rodent model of metabolic syndrome.
Progress Reports: 6-month progress report
