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A New Tool to Diagnose Parkinson’s Disease

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A recent international study proved that physicians can diagnose Parkinson’s disease (PD) by testing a patient’s spinal fluid. If this diagnostic method is widely adopted, physicians may be able to diagnose PD earlier and better monitor disease progression.
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Meeting Report: International Symposium on Biomolecular Ultrasound & Sonogenetics (ISBUS) 2022

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Key Points The inaugural 2022 International Symposium on Biomolecular Ultrasound & Sonogenetics (ISBUS) was held December 8–11, 2022, at Caltech. ISBUS convened 150 researchers pursuing biomolecular and genetic approaches to ultrasonic imaging and control of cellular function. Several keynotes and presentations are of interest to the focused ultrasound community. The inaugural 2022 International Symposium on Biomolecular Ultrasound & Sonogenetics (ISBUS) was held December 8–11, 2022, in Pasadena, California, at Caltech. ISBUS convened 150 researchers pursuing biomolecular and genetic approaches to ultrasonic imaging and control of cellular function, with applications in biological research and medicine. ISUBS was organized by Mikhail Shapiro, PhD (Caltech, Chair); Sreekanth “Shrek” Chalasani, PhD (Salk Institute); Hong Chen, PhD (Washington University of St. Louis); F. Stuart Foster, PhD (University of Toronto); David Maresca, PhD (Delft University of Technology); and Yingxiao Peter Wang (UC San Diego). The organizers led the overview talks and discussions. Katherine Ferrara, PhD (Stanford University) also helped moderate. “It is just now becoming possible to connect ultrasound to the function of specific cells using genetic tools,” said Dr. Shapiro. “This creates many exciting possibilities for cellular imaging and remote control in both basic biology and biomedicine. ISBUS brought together a diverse community of researchers participating in this emerging field.” The meeting featured 18 talks and more than 60 posters. Mickael Tanter, PhD, from Physics for Medicine Paris, INSERM and Elisa Konofagou, PhD, from Columbia University were invited to give keynote presentations. Additional presentations of interest to the focused ultrasound community included: Programming synthetic T cell immunity against solid tumors by thermal targeting by Lena Gamboa from Georgia Tech (this presentation won one of the best oral presentation awards) Incisionless targeted AAV delivery to the brain by focused ultrasound–mediated nasal administration by Dezhuang Ye from Washington University in St. Louis Focused ultrasound–mediated mechanogenetics for immunotherapy by Chi Woo Yoon from the University of California San Diego Verasonics, Fujifilm Visualsonics, and Iconeus attended and demonstrated equipment as platinum sponsors. E&I was a gold sponsor. The Focused Ultrasound Foundation was a silver sponsor. Philips, Precision Acoustics, Image Guided Therapy, the Acoustical Society of America, Imasonic, and Sonic Concepts were bronze sponsors. “We had a lot of fun!” added Dr. Shapiro. “It was great to have the Focused Ultrasound Foundation as a sponsor and participant.” A 2nd ISBUS meeting is being planned for 2024. See the Meeting Website
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Meeting Report: European Congress of Radiology (ECR) 2023

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Key Points The European Congress of Radiology (ECR) 2023 took place in Vienna (and virtually) March 1–5. Focused ultrasound content included presentations on essential tremor, prostate cancer, osteoblastoma, osteoid osteoma, and painful bone metastases. More than 17,000 medical imaging professionals and industry leaders from 122 countries attended ECR. The European Congress of Radiology (ECR) took place at the Austria Center in Vienna (and virtually) from March 1–5, 2023, with a theme of “The Cycle of Life.” ECR’s scientific program includes radiology content that extends from prenatal radiology through forensic imaging. With more than 17,000 medical imaging professionals and industry leaders from 122 countries, the large meeting featured innovative science, education, and exhibit content along with entertainment and networking opportunities. A “Trainees in Focus” platform allowed the next generation of radiologists to discuss and debate topics and meet up in a dedicated lounge and gaming area. The online attendance platform provided virtual participants with the ability to interact with speakers, vote, and stream content. More than 250 international medical imaging companies set up exhibits to educate attendees and demonstrate their state-of-the-art technology and services. “The Cube” area featured interventional radiology companies, and many of the sessions, exhibits, and product demonstrations took place in the future tech AI Expo and Theater area. Much of the meeting’s on-demand content will remain available on the ECR website and is available to purchase, including the following focused ultrasound presentations on essential tremor, prostate cancer, osteoblastoma, osteoid osteoma, and painful bone metastases. Degenerative Diseases of the Brain Evaluation of Cerebral Volume Changes in Patients with Tremor Treated by MRgFUS Thalamotomy by Federico Bruno from L’Aquila, Italy Interventional: New Techniques for Cancer Treatment High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU): Technique, Indications, and Evidence by Martijn Franklin Boomsma from Zwolle, the Netherlands Guided Interventions of the Prostate Focal Therapy in Localised Prostate Cancer: IRE, HIFU, Cryoablation by Olivier Rouviere from Lyon, France Ablative Technique and Treatment Assessment Safety and Efficacy of Interventional Radiology Management of Osteoblastomas: Ten Years of Experience Using RFA and MRGFUS by Julia Daffinà from Rome, Italy 12-Month Clinical Outcomes of MRI-Guided Transurethral Ultrasound Ablation for Localised Prostate Cancer by Eemil Hannu Mikkel Yli-Pietilä from Turku, Finland Tips and Tricks for Interventional Ablation Treatment (RFA and MRgFUS) of Osteoid Osteomas in Uncommon Sites by Julia Daffinà from Rome, Italy Interventional Oncology (Part 2) What Have We Learned in More Than 10 Years of Ablation of Osteoid Osteoma Using Magnetic Resonance-Guided Focused Ultrasound Surgery (MRgFUS)? by Francesco Arrigoni from L’Aquila, Italy Clinical Trials in Image-Guided Therapies: Current and Future Perspectives (Joint Session of the ESR and EORTC) High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound: The FURTHER Consortium by Alberto Bazzocchi from Bologna, Italy ECR 2024 will take place in Vienna from February 28 – March 3, 2024, with the theme “Next Generation Radiology.” See the Meeting Website See the ECR 2023 After Movie and Photo Gallery
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2023 Meeting Reports

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Learn about the latest focused ultrasound research being presented at scientific meetings. This list will be updated as new reports are available. HIFUture SymposiumApril 21, 2023 | Lyon, France European Conference on Interventional Oncology (ECIO) April 16-20, 2023 | Stockholm, Sweden American Association for Cancer Research (AACR)April 14-19, 2023 | Orlando, Florida, USA American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine (AIUM)March 25-29, 2023 | Orlando, Florida, USA Winter School on Therapeutic UltrasoundMarch 19-24, 2023 | Les Houches, France Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR)March 4-9, 2023 | Phoenix, Arizona, USA European Congress of Radiology (ECR)March 1-5, 2023 | Vienna, Austria Society of Interventional Oncology (SIO)January 19-23, 2023 | Washington, DC, USA International Symposium on Biomolecular Ultrasound & Sonogenetics (ISBUS)December 8-11, 2022 | Pasadena, California, USA
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In Memoriam: Rao Gullapalli, PhD, MBA Chrit Moonen, PhD, Joins Foundation as Scientific Programs Director Foundation Welcomes Senior Advisor for Veterinary Initiatives Open Science in the Focused Ultrasound Community Why It Takes So Long to Develop a Medical Technology (Part 9)