Focused Ultrasound Therapy
Focused ultrasound is a rapidly evolving, therapeutic technology that could transform the quality of life and decrease the cost of care for patients novel technology focuses beams of ultrasound energy precisely and accurately on targets deep in the body without damaging surrounding normal tissue.
How it Works
Where the beams converge, focused ultrasound produces a neuromodulatory effect on the splenic tissue, resulting in significant reductions (25-30%) in the pulmonary hypertension numbers compared to the animal controls. While significant work has been accomplished, there is still much to be done before this technology will be widely available.
The primary options for treatment of pulmonary hypertension include medication, but the side effects of these drugs can also be limiting in its effectiveness.
For certain patients, focused ultrasound could provide a more effective and lower cost alternative to conventional therapy.
Advantages
- Focused ultrasound is non-invasive, so it does not carry added concerns like surgical wound healing or infection.
- Focused ultrasound can reach the desired target without damaging surrounding tissue.
- It can be repeated, if necessary.
Clinical Trials
At the present time, there are no clinical trials recruiting patients for focused ultrasound treatment of pulmonary hypertension.
Regulatory and Reimbursement
Focused ultrasound treatment for pulmonary hypertension is not yet approved by regulatory bodies or covered by medical insurance companies.
Notable Papers
Xie Y, Yao T, Zhu X, Yang F, Fan H, Cao S, Chen H, Liao M, Xia Y, Liu J, Xiao Z, Yang Z, Xiao Y. High-intensity Focused Ultrasound-A New Choice to Conduct Pulmonary Artery Denervation. J Cardiovasc Transl Res. 2024 Jul 6. doi: 10.1007/s12265-024-10531-9. PMID: 38971920
Zafeiropoulos S, Ahmed U, Bekiaridou A, Jayaprakash N, Mughrabi IT, Saleknezhad N, Chadwick C, Daytz A, Kurata-Sato I, Atish-Fregoso Y, Carroll K, Al-Abed Y, Fudim M, Puleo C, Giannakoulas G, Nicolls M, Diamond B, Zanos S. Ultrasound Neuromodulation of an Anti-Inflammatory Pathway at the Spleen Improves Experimental Pulmonary Hypertension. Circ Res. 2024 May 7. doi: 10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.123.323679. PMID: 38712557
Click here for additional references from PubMed.
