Opening the Blood-Brain Barrier After Whole-Brain Radiation Therapy

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Observed Effects of Whole-Brain Radiation Therapy on Focused Ultrasound Blood–Brain Barrier Disruption

Nathan McDannold’s group at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School recently completed a study to determine whether prior brain irradiation affected outcomes when opening the blood-brain barrier (BBB) with focused ultrasound and microbubbles. This preclinical study in a mouse model tested whether BBB opening varied between brain tissue that was exposed to 3 grays of radiation for 10 consecutive days and non-irradiated tissue. The microbubble-assisted BBB opening was performed unilaterally so the contralateral side could serve as a control. Did prior radiation of the brain act as a sensitizer for BBB opening?

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