Is it possible for genetic therapy to enable long-term treatment of neurological disorders? Can technological advances reduce the time it takes to heal chronic wounds? Has focused ultrasound been accepted into clinical practice for physicians who treat patients with essential tremor? Scientists are asking, and answering, these questions in this month’s research highlights.
Safe and Stable Noninvasive Focal Gene Delivery to the Mammalian Brain Following Focused Ultrasound.
Researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College envision a future where delivery of genetic therapy across the blood-brain barrier (BBB) to a precise region of the brain could enable long-term treatment of many neurological disorders. To evaluate the efficiency, safety, and long-term stability of noninvasive, focused ultrasound and microbubble-mediated gene therapy in the mammalian brain, the research team conducted a 15-month preclinical study. See Journal of Neurosurgery >
High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) Heating Improves Perfusion and Antimicrobial Efficacy in Mouse Staphylococcus Abscess.
Seeking to improve noninvasive antimicrobial therapy for wound healing, veterinary researchers at Oklahoma State University combined the use of focused ultrasound hyperthermia with antimicrobial chemotherapy. The preclinical study improved the treatment response and increased perfusion. Could this work translate to a potential solution for patients with diabetic ulcers or bedsores? See Ultrasound in Medicine & Biology >
Essential Tremor.
A new review from the clinical trials unit of the National Institute of Health’s Neurological Disorders and Stroke Intramural Research Program examines current clinical recommendations for patients with essential tremor, including proper patient selection for focused ultrasound treatment. See the New England Journal of Medicine >