The blood-brain barrier is a major hurdle for drugs targeted at areas within the brain. We previously reported on the use of focused ultrasound waves to penetrate the barrier almost five years ago, but since then some major advancements have been made. MIT Technology Review is reporting that a startup company called Perfusion Technology is now developing a technique that uses a slightly different approach, bathing the brain in ultrasound waves rather than creating focal defects. They use a specially designed headset to expose the entire brain to low-intensity ultrasound waves for an hour-long treatment session. After that chemotherapy or other large molecular drugs can be administered, allowing them to freely pass the blood-brain barrier. The effect has been shown to be temporary, with the blood-brain barrier returning to a functional state within a few hours. The image shows a section of a monkey’s brain after treatment with the device, and a brown chemical marker that has passed into large parts of the brain. The company’s method is simpler and cheaper than focused ultrasound techniques and obviates the need for injections with microbubbles. A possible disadvantage is the risk of bleeding, which became apparent with a similar device used in a study on stroke patients several years ago. The treatment is being developed for patients with brain tumors and the company hopes to complete preclinical animal studies in the next year to prepare for initial trials in humans.
Source: MIT Technology Review: Opening Up the Brain with Ultrasound…