
Novel Focused Ultrasound Gene Therapy Approach Noninvasively Restores Dopaminergic Neuron Function in a Rat Parkinson's Disease Model
The Price/Hanes collaboration for nanoparticle fabrication and delivery made a breakthrough in a rat model of Parkinson’s disease. Their treatment strategy of using focused ultrasound to deliver brain-penetrating nanoparticles across the blood-brain barrier resulted in widespread but targeted glial cell—derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) transgene expression. See Nano Letters.
Amyloid β Plaque Reduction with Antibodies Crossing the Blood-Brain Barrier, Which was Opened in 3 Sessions of Focused Ultrasound in a Rabbit Model
Delivering antibodies with ultrasound guidance, researchers at the Cyprus University of Technology have shown that using focused ultrasound to open the blood-brain barrier reduces amyloid B plaque in the rabbit brain. See the Journal of Ultrasound in Medicine.
In Situ Bone Tissue Engineering Via Ultrasound-mediated Gene Delivery to Endogenous Progenitor Cells in Mini-pigs
In a truly collaborative study involving four centers in the United States and Israel, scientists used focused ultrasound and microbubbles to deliver therapeutic genes to endogenous stem cells in a large animal model. This treatment led to complete fracture healing 6 weeks after treatment versus nonunion in control animals. See Science Translational Medicine for the study and see animation of the experiment in Science Magazine.