Key Points
- A new clinical trial is investigating the use of focused ultrasound to treat patients with recurrent glioblastoma and other high-grade gliomas.
- Researchers are exploring sonodynamic therapy – or using focused ultrasound to activate a drug to cause cell death only in the tumor – in these patients.
- The trial is ongoing at the Ivy Brain Tumor Center at Barrow Neurological Institute.
The first patient has been enrolled in a new clinical trial investigating the use of focused ultrasound to treat patients with recurrent glioblastoma (rGBM) and other high-grade gliomas.
Researchers at the Ivy Brain Tumor Center at Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, Arizona, are exploring sonodynamic therapy – or using focused ultrasound to activate a drug to cause cell death only within the tumor. This noninvasive drug-device combination was developed by SonALAsense in collaboration with Insightec.
“The potential value of an effective, noninvasive treatment option for patients with glioblastoma cannot be overstated,” said Nader Sanai, MD, Director of the Ivy Brain Tumor Center. “We are uniquely positioned to rapidly assess the safety and biological impact of this groundbreaking new strategy. In my career, I have never seen an approach quite like it.”
The first patient treated with sonodynamic therapy was a 44-year-old man from Uruguay with a high-grade glioma. He said, “I chose to be the first patient on this clinical trial because I wanted to do something for the greater good. I also wanted to do something that would make my daughters proud and show them I am doing everything in my power to fight this. From the time I was diagnosed three years ago, I have conducted extensive research on the latest therapies for brain cancer and this was at the top of my list. The treatment is noninvasive, non-toxic, and targets only the cancer cells, so I’m very happy to be a part of it.”
Watch as Dr. Sanai Explains the Procedure and Importance of the Trial >
Read the Ivy Brain Tumor Center’s Press Release >
*Photo courtesy of the Ivy Brain Tumor Center at Barrow Neurological Institute