The Foundation-sponsored Focused Ultrasound Center of Excellence at the University of Virginia Health System in Charlottesville has launched its first clinical trial, which is investigating the safety and efficacy of MR-guided focused ultrasound treatment for pain associated with metastatic bone tumors.

The Center will begin two other clinical trials this summer: a feasibility study of the safety and initial efficacy of the new ExAblate 2100 Conformal Bone System in treating pain resulting from metastatic bone tumors and a study evaluating the safety of the ExAblate 2100 Uterine Fibroid V2 System in treating symptomatic uterine fibroids.

The Foundation’s newest Research Award recipient, Nick Todd, Ph.D., and his colleagues at the Universities  of Utah and Geneva are developing MR temperature measuring techniques that overcome the unique challenges of imaging the breast. Ultimately, their goal is to develop new, site-specific MR-guided focused ultrasound treatments for breast and liver cancer.

"Imaging-mediated Drug Delivery, from Bench to Bedside," was the title of a June 25 satellite symposium held in conjunction with a three-day workshop for cancer researchers sponsored by the FDA and several other leading organizations.

Joy Polefone, Ph.D., director of the Foundation’s Focused Ultrasound-mediated Targeted Drug Delivery (FUS-TDD) program, was a speaker at the event, which included overviews of the technology and current preclinical and clinical results as well as a roundtable discussion about the options and potential hurdles for regulatory pathways.

The Foundation’s patient support organization, Fibroid Relief, will conduct its second Coffee and Conversation event in London on Saturday, July 31. Presented in partnership with St. Mary’s Hospital, the event will offer an intimate, safe and supportive environment where past and present uterine fibroid sufferers can talk freely about their experiences, share knowledge and learn from each other

The Foundation’s Focused Ultrasound-mediated Targeted Drug Delivery Program (FUS-TDD) has announced the formation of a Core Stakeholders Group that includes 14 of today’s leading researchers and experts.

According to Joy Polefone, Ph.D., director of the FUS-TDD Program, core stakeholders will identify key research questions and gating factors to developing clinical applications as well as two to four high potential clinical applications. The group will also help develop research road maps for those applications and serve as implementation leaders within their areas of expertise. 

Yoichiro Matsumoto, chair of the 10th International Symposium on Therapeutic Ultrasound held in Tokyo last month, reports that the meeting was closed with “great success” due to the active contribution of participants. Matsumoto, a Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Tokyo, said the meeting drew 260 participants and featured 184 invited and contributed papers.

“It is obvious that the international interest in therapeutic ultrasound is rapidly growing and the International Society for Therapeutic Ultrasound will play a significant role in advancing our future healthcare and welfare,” he noted.

A key development at this year’s meeting was the inclusion of dedicated sessions on MR-guided focused ultrasound. Organizers have expressed interest in offering similar sessions at ISTU’s 2011 symposium, which will be held jointly with the American Institute for Ultrasound in Medicine; the meeting is  scheduled for April 10-13 in New York City.