Focused Ultrasound Surgery Foundation

Principal Investigator: Nathan McDannold, Ph.D., Brigham & Women's Hospital, Department of Radiology, Focused Ultrasound Laboratory 

Co-Investigator: Natalia Vykhodtseva, Ph.D., Brigham & Women's Hospital, Department of Radiology, Focused Ultrasound Laboratory

Abstract :The goal of this work will be to investigate the safety of ablating tissue with focused ultrasound adjacent to peripheral nerves or to nerve tracts in the brain. We propose experiments in which we ablate tissue adjacent to the sciatic nerve and the optic nerve/tract in the brain and then evaluate nerve function. These experiments are motivated by two promising targets for focused ultrasound treatment where critical nerve structures need to be protected: prostate cancer and brain tumors. If successful, this work will allow good surgical margins, thereby improving the effectiveness of focused ultrasound surgery and reducing local recurrence.