An ultrasound device may unlock brain cancer treatment, early study shows
It's difficult for chemotherapy treatments to cross the blood-brain barrier. In a small study, a new implantable ultrasound device shows promise in doing so.
Brain cancer patients are left with few options when tumor cells spread, as most potent chemotherapies are unable to cross the blood-brain barrier. But a study published last week in the Lancet offers some hope: an ultrasound device implanted in 17 patients’ skulls successfully increased the concentration of drugs in their brains.
It’s the first, in-human trial of the novel device, which is manufactured by French device maker Carthera. The study, led by Northwestern University researchers, also reported no treatment-related deaths or worsening of neurological symptoms. Drug levels increased almost sixfold in the part of the brain activated by the device.
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