Key Points
- A preclinical study investigated the effects of focused ultrasound histotripsy on bones with osteosarcoma lesions.
- The treatment did not weaken normal bone or exacerbate the tumor damage.
Osteosarcomas are highly aggressive, malignant bone tumors that affect both humans and dogs. Traditional treatments include surgical resection via limb salvage surgery or limb amputation, both of which can carry significant complications and reduced quality of life.
A collaborative research team at Virginia Tech and the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine recently published results from a preclinical study investigating the effects of focused ultrasound histotripsy on bones from dogs that were diagnosed with osteosarcoma.
Led by Caitlyn J. Collins, PhD, assistant professor of biomedical engineering at Virginia Tech, the group tested ex vivo limbs from canine osteosarcoma patients by applying histotripsy to both tumor-bearing and normal bone samples. They then conducted mechanical testing using compression and assessed the structural integrity and biomechanical properties of each sample with micro-CT imaging.
In all, 47 bone samples were analyzed. After successfully targeting the tumor tissue, histotripsy did not weaken normal bone or exacerbate damage in tumor-affected bone, indicating that the technique preserved the bone’s mechanical integrity. The authors also observed substantial heterogeneity in the structural properties of the tumor specimens, underscoring the complex nature of osteosarcoma.
“This study used a canine comparative model, which is one that closely parallels human bone cancer characteristics,” said Dr. Collins. “Therefore, it is our hope that these findings have strong translational relevance for both veterinary and human medicine. A noninvasive treatment like histotripsy could make quite a difference, and its use appears to preserve bone strength. This is a promising first step.”
These results support the potential of histotripsy as a precise, bone-sparing approach for managing osteosarcoma and a promising alternative to more invasive surgical options.
See Frontiers of Veterinary Medicine
Read Buddha’s Story: A Legacy of Hope: Buddha’s Contribution to Cancer Research
Related Stories
Two Dogs with Bone Cancer: Hunter and Princess’s Focused Ultrasound Story 2026
Curing with Sound Podcast Ep41 – Advancing Cancer Research with Histotripsy: Insights from a Canine Osteosarcoma Trial November 2025
Foundation Research Awards Update: Five Preclinical Projects Initiated in the Second Quarter of 2024 July 2024
Research Awards Update: 14 Preclinical Projects Initiated in the First Quarter of 2024 April 2024
Research Awards Update: Five Preclinical Projects Initiated in the Third Quarter of 2023 October 2023
Histotripsy to Treat Canine Bone Tumors Trial Results Published August 2022