Nature’s Gene Therapy journal has published pioneering work on the use of focused ultrasound to deliver genetic material across the blood-spinal cord barrier (BSCB).
The research, titled “Gene Delivery to the spinal cord using MRI-guided focused ultrasound” was conducted by Kullervo Hynynen and collaborators at the University of Toronto and Sunnybrook Research Institute. The article describes their use of FUS in combination with microbubbles to transiently open the BSCB, enabling gene delivery in a rat model. Similar to their work utilizing FUS to open the blood–brain barrier for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease, this innovative preclinical study helps pave the road for the potential to treat spinal cord injuries, infections, and tumors.