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Martin E, Aubry JF, Schafer M, Verhagen L, Treeby B, Pauly KB. ITRUSST consensus on standardised reporting for transcranial ultrasound stimulation. Brain Stimul 2024; 17:607-615. [PMID: 38670224 DOI: 10.1016/j.brs.2024.04.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2024] [Revised: 03/30/2024] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
As transcranial ultrasound stimulation (TUS) advances as a precise, non-invasive neuromodulatory method, there is a need for consistent reporting standards to enable comparison and reproducibility across studies. To this end, the International Transcranial Ultrasonic Stimulation Safety and Standards Consortium (ITRUSST) formed a subcommittee of experts across several domains to review and suggest standardised reporting parameters for low intensity TUS, resulting in the guide presented here. The scope of the guide is limited to reporting the ultrasound aspects of a study. The guide and supplementary material provide a simple checklist covering the reporting of: (1) the transducer and drive system, (2) the drive system settings, (3) the free field acoustic parameters, (4) the pulse timing parameters, (5) in situ estimates of exposure parameters in the brain, and (6) intensity parameters. Detailed explanations for each of the parameters, including discussions on assumptions, measurements, and calculations, are also provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleanor Martin
- Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, University College London, London, UK; Wellcome/EPSRC Centre for Interventional and Surgical Sciences, University College London, London, UK
| | - Jean-François Aubry
- Physics for Medicine Paris, Inserm U1273, ESPCI Paris, CNRS UMR8063, PSL University, Paris, France
| | - Mark Schafer
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Lennart Verhagen
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, 6525 GD Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Bradley Treeby
- Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, University College London, London, UK
| | - Kim Butts Pauly
- Department of Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
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2
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Bakker A, Ixkes AE, Venugopal H, Ries MG, Lak NSM, de Vos FYFL, van Vuurden DG, Snijders TJ. Focused Ultrasound-Enhanced Liquid Biopsy: A Promising Diagnostic Tool for Brain Tumor Patients. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:1576. [PMID: 38672658 PMCID: PMC11049441 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16081576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2024] [Revised: 04/12/2024] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
The performance of minimally invasive molecular diagnostic tools in brain tumors, such as liquid biopsy, has so far been limited by the blood-brain barrier (BBB). The BBB hinders the release of brain tumor biomarkers into the bloodstream. The use of focused ultrasound in conjunction with microbubbles has been shown to temporarily open the BBB (FUS-BBBO). This may enhance blood-based tumor biomarker levels. This systematic review provides an overview of the data regarding FUS-BBBO-enhanced liquid biopsy for primary brain tumors. A systematic search was conducted in PubMed and Embase databases with key terms "brain tumors", "liquid biopsy", "FUS" and their synonyms, in accordance with PRISMA statement guidelines. Five preclinical and two clinical studies were included. Preclinical studies utilized mouse, rat and porcine glioma models. Biomarker levels were found to be higher in sonicated groups compared to control groups. Both stable and inertial microbubble cavitation increased biomarker levels, whereas only inertial cavitation induced microhemorrhages. In clinical studies involving 14 patients with high-grade brain tumors, biomarker levels were increased after FUS-BBBO with stable cavitation. In conclusion, FUS-BBBO-enhanced liquid biopsy using stable cavitation shows diagnostic potential for primary brain tumors. Further research is imperative before integrating FUS-BBBO for liquid biopsy enhancement into clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akke Bakker
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Heidelberglaan 25, 3584 CS Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Department of Neurology & Neurosurgery, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, UMC Utrecht, Heidelberglaan 100, 3584 CX Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Anna E. Ixkes
- Biomedical Sciences, Utrecht University, Heidelberglaan 8, 3584 CS Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Hema Venugopal
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Heidelberglaan 25, 3584 CS Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Department of Neurology & Neurosurgery, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, UMC Utrecht, Heidelberglaan 100, 3584 CX Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Mario G. Ries
- Imaging Division, UMC Utrecht, Heidelberglaan 100, 3584 CX Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Nathalie S. M. Lak
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Heidelberglaan 25, 3584 CS Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Filip Y. F. L. de Vos
- Department of Medical Oncology, UMC Utrecht, Heidelberglaan 100, 3584 CX Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Dannis G. van Vuurden
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Heidelberglaan 25, 3584 CS Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Tom J. Snijders
- Department of Neurology & Neurosurgery, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, UMC Utrecht, Heidelberglaan 100, 3584 CX Utrecht, The Netherlands
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Xu R, Treeby BE, Martin E. Safety Review of Therapeutic Ultrasound for Spinal Cord Neuromodulation and Blood-Spinal Cord Barrier Opening. ULTRASOUND IN MEDICINE & BIOLOGY 2024; 50:317-331. [PMID: 38182491 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2023.11.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2023] [Revised: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 01/07/2024]
Abstract
New focused ultrasound spinal cord applications have emerged, particularly those improving therapeutic agent delivery to the spinal cord via blood-spinal cord barrier opening and the neuromodulation of spinal cord tracts. One hurdle in the development of these applications is safety. It may be possible to use safety trends from seminal and subsequent works in focused ultrasound to guide the development of safety guidelines for spinal cord applications. We collated data from decades of pre-clinical studies and illustrate a clear relationship between damage, time-averaged spatial peak intensity and exposure duration. This relationship suggests a thermal mechanism underlies ultrasound-induced spinal cord damage. We developed minimum and mean thresholds for damage from these pre-clinical studies. When these thresholds were plotted against the parameters used in recent pre-clinical ultrasonic spinal cord neuromodulation studies, the majority of the neuromodulation studies were near or above the minimum threshold. This suggests that a thermal neuromodulatory effect may exist for ultrasonic spinal cord neuromodulation, and that the thermal dose must be carefully controlled to avoid damage to the spinal cord. By contrast, the intensity-exposure duration threshold had no predictive value when applied to blood-spinal cord barrier opening studies that employed injected contrast agents. Most blood-spinal cord barrier opening studies observed slight to severe damage, except for small animal studies that employed an active feedback control method to limit pressures based on measured bubble oscillation behavior. The development of new focused ultrasound spinal cord applications perhaps reflects the recent success in the development of focused ultrasound brain applications, and recent work has begun on the translation of these technologies from brain to spinal cord. However, a great deal of work remains to be done, particularly with respect to developing and accepting safety standards for these applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Xu
- Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, University College London, London, UK.
| | - Bradley E Treeby
- Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, University College London, London, UK
| | - Eleanor Martin
- Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, University College London, London, UK
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Padilla F, Foley J, Timbie K, Bullock TNJ, Sheybani ND. Guidelines for immunological analyses following focused ultrasound treatment. J Immunother Cancer 2023; 11:e007455. [PMID: 38007236 PMCID: PMC10679984 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2023-007455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/17/2023] [Indexed: 11/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Focused ultrasound (FUS) is a powerful emerging tool for non-invasive, non-ionizing targeted destruction of tumors. The last two decades have seen a growing body of preclinical and clinical literature supporting the capacity of FUS to increase nascent immune responses to tumors and to potentiate cancer immunotherapies (e.g. checkpoint inhibitors) through a variety of means, including immune modulation and drug delivery. With the rapid acceleration of this field and a multitude of FUS immunotherapy clinical trials having now been deployed worldwide, there is a need to streamline and standardize the methodology for immunological analyses field-wide. Recently, the Focused Ultrasound Foundation and Cancer Research Institute partnered to convene a group of over 85 leaders to discuss the nexus of FUS and immuno-oncology. The guidelines documented herein were assembled in response to recommendations that emerged from this discussion, emphasizing the urgent need for heightened accessibility of immune analysis methods and standardized protocols unique to the field. These guidelines are designated for existing stakeholders in the FUS immuno-oncology domain or those newly entering the field, to provide guidance on collection, storage, and immunological profiling of tissue or blood specimens in the context of FUS immunotherapy studies, and additionally offer templates for standardized deployment of these methods based on collective experience gained within the field to date. These guidelines are tumor-agnostic and provide evidence-based, consensus-based recommendations for both preclinical and clinical immune analysis of tissue and blood specimens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frederic Padilla
- Focused Ultrasound Foundation, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
- Radiology and Medical Imaging, University of Virginia Health System, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Jessica Foley
- Focused Ultrasound Foundation, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Kelsie Timbie
- Focused Ultrasound Foundation, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | | | - Natasha D Sheybani
- Radiology and Medical Imaging, University of Virginia Health System, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
- Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia Health System, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
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Osada T, Jiang X, Zhao Y, Chen M, Kreager BC, Wu H, Kim H, Ren J, Snyder J, Zhong P, Morse MA, Lyerly HK. The use of histotripsy as intratumoral immunotherapy beyond tissue ablation-the rationale for exploring the immune effects of histotripsy. Int J Hyperthermia 2023; 40:2263672. [PMID: 37806666 DOI: 10.1080/02656736.2023.2263672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Mechanical high-intensity focused ultrasound (M-HIFU), which includes histotripsy, is a non-ionizing, non-thermal ablation technology that can be delivered by noninvasive methods. Because acoustic cavitation is the primary mechanism of tissue disruption, histotripsy is distinct from the conventional HIFU techniques resulting in hyperthermia and thermal injury. Phase I human trials have shown the initial safety and efficacy of histotripsy in treating patients with malignant liver tumors. In addition to tissue ablation, a promising benefit of M-HIFU has been stimulating a local and systemic antitumor immune response in preclinical models and potentially in the Phase I trial. Preclinical studies combining systemic immune therapies appear promising, but clinical studies of combinations have been complicated by systemic toxicities. Consequently, combining M-HIFU with systemic immunotherapy has been demonstrated in preclinical models and may be testing in future clinical studies. An additional alternative is to combine intratumoral M-HIFU and immunotherapy using microcatheter-placed devices to deliver both M-HIFU and immunotherapy intratumorally. The promise of M-HIFU as a component of anti-cancer therapy is promising, but as forms of HIFU are tested in preclinical and clinical studies, investigators should report not only the parameters of the energy delivered but also details of the preclinical models to enable analysis of the immune responses. Ultimately, as clinical trials continue, clinical responses and immune analysis of patients undergoing M-HIFU including forms of histotripsy will provide opportunities to optimize clinical responses and to optimize application and scheduling of M-HIFU in the context of the multi-modality care of the cancer patient.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takuya Osada
- Department of Surgery, Duke University School of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Xiaoning Jiang
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, College of Engineering, NC State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | | | - Mengyue Chen
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, College of Engineering, NC State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Benjamin C Kreager
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, College of Engineering, NC State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Huaiyu Wu
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, College of Engineering, NC State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Howuk Kim
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, School of Engineering, Inha University, Incheon, Republic of South Korea
| | - Jun Ren
- Department of Surgery, Duke University School of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Joshua Snyder
- Department of Surgery and Cell Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Pei Zhong
- Thomas Lord Department of Mechanical Engineering and Material Science, Pratt School of Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Michael A Morse
- Department of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - H Kim Lyerly
- Department of Surgery, Pathology, and Integrative Immunobiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
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Blackmore DG, Razansky D, Götz J. Ultrasound as a versatile tool for short- and long-term improvement and monitoring of brain function. Neuron 2023; 111:1174-1190. [PMID: 36917978 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.02.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2022] [Revised: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/15/2023]
Abstract
Treating the brain with focused ultrasound (FUS) at low intensities elicits diverse responses in neurons, astroglia, and the extracellular matrix. In combination with intravenously injected microbubbles, FUS also opens the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and facilitates focal drug delivery. However, an incompletely understood cellular specificity and a wide parameter space currently limit the optimal application of FUS in preclinical and human studies. In this perspective, we discuss how different FUS modalities can be utilized to achieve short- and long-term improvements, thereby potentially treating brain disorders. We review the ongoing efforts to determine which parameters induce neuronal inhibition versus activation and how mechanoreceptors and signaling cascades are activated to induce long-term changes, including memory improvements. We suggest that optimal FUS treatments may require different FUS modalities and devices, depending on the targeted brain area or local pathology, and will be greatly enhanced by new techniques for monitoring FUS efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel G Blackmore
- Clem Jones Centre for Ageing Dementia Research, Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Daniel Razansky
- Institute for Biomedical Engineering, Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland; Institute for Biomedical Engineering, Department of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering, ETH Zurich, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Jürgen Götz
- Clem Jones Centre for Ageing Dementia Research, Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia.
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Hu Y, Wei J, Shen Y, Chen S, Chen X. Barrier-breaking effects of ultrasonic cavitation for drug delivery and biomarker release. ULTRASONICS SONOCHEMISTRY 2023; 94:106346. [PMID: 36870921 PMCID: PMC10040969 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultsonch.2023.106346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2023] [Revised: 02/15/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Recently, emerging evidence has demonstrated that cavitation actually creates important bidirectional channels on biological barriers for both intratumoral drug delivery and extratumoral biomarker release. To promote the barrier-breaking effects of cavitation for both therapy and diagnosis, we first reviewed recent technical advances of ultrasound and its contrast agents (microbubbles, nanodroplets, and gas-stabilizing nanoparticles) and then reported the newly-revealed cavitation physical details. In particular, we summarized five types of cellular responses of cavitation in breaking the plasma membrane (membrane retraction, sonoporation, endocytosis/exocytosis, blebbing and apoptosis) and compared the vascular cavitation effects of three different types of ultrasound contrast agents in breaking the blood-tumor barrier and tumor microenvironment. Moreover, we highlighted the current achievements of the barrier-breaking effects of cavitation in mediating drug delivery and biomarker release. We emphasized that the precise induction of a specific cavitation effect for barrier-breaking was still challenged by the complex combination of multiple acoustic and non-acoustic cavitation parameters. Therefore, we provided the cutting-edge in-situ cavitation imaging and feedback control methods and suggested the development of an international cavitation quantification standard for the clinical guidance of cavitation-mediated barrier-breaking effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaxin Hu
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Medical School, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518060, PR China; National-regional Key Technology Engineering Laboratory for Medical Ultrasound, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518060, PR China
| | - Jianpeng Wei
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Medical School, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518060, PR China; National-regional Key Technology Engineering Laboratory for Medical Ultrasound, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518060, PR China
| | - Yuanyuan Shen
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Medical School, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518060, PR China; National-regional Key Technology Engineering Laboratory for Medical Ultrasound, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518060, PR China
| | - Siping Chen
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Medical School, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518060, PR China; National-regional Key Technology Engineering Laboratory for Medical Ultrasound, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518060, PR China
| | - Xin Chen
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Medical School, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518060, PR China; National-regional Key Technology Engineering Laboratory for Medical Ultrasound, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518060, PR China.
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Harris GR, Howard SM, Hurrell AM, Lewin PA, Schafer ME, Wear KA, Wilkens V, Zeqiri B. Hydrophone Measurements for Biomedical Ultrasound Applications: A Review. IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON ULTRASONICS, FERROELECTRICS, AND FREQUENCY CONTROL 2023; 70:85-100. [PMID: 36215339 PMCID: PMC10079648 DOI: 10.1109/tuffc.2022.3213185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
This article presents basic principles of hydrophone measurements, including mechanisms of action for various hydrophone designs, sensitivity and directivity calibration procedures, practical considerations for performing measurements, signal processing methods to correct for both frequency-dependent sensitivity and spatial averaging across the hydrophone sensitive element, uncertainty in hydrophone measurements, special considerations for high-intensity therapeutic ultrasound, and advice for choosing an appropriate hydrophone for a particular measurement task. Recommendations are made for information to be included in hydrophone measurement reporting.
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Ultrasound-Mediated Bioeffects in Senescent Mice and Alzheimer's Mouse Models. Brain Sci 2022; 12:brainsci12060775. [PMID: 35741660 PMCID: PMC9221310 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12060775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2022] [Revised: 06/09/2022] [Accepted: 06/10/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Ultrasound is routinely used for a wide range of diagnostic imaging applications. However, given that ultrasound can operate over a wide range of parameters that can all be modulated, its applicability extends far beyond the bioimaging field. In fact, the modality has emerged as a hybrid technology that effectively assists drug delivery by transiently opening the blood–brain barrier (BBB) when combined with intravenously injected microbubbles, and facilitates neuromodulation. Studies in aged mice contributed to an insight into how low-intensity ultrasound brings about its neuromodulatory effects, including increased synaptic plasticity and improved cognitive functions, with a potential role for neurogenesis and the modulation of NMDA receptor-mediated neuronal signalling. This work is complemented by studies in mouse models of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), a form of pathological ageing. Here, ultrasound was mainly employed as a BBB-opening tool that clears protein aggregates via microglial activation and neuronal autophagy, thereby restoring cognition. We discuss the currently available ultrasound approaches and how studies in senescent mice are relevant for AD and can accelerate the application of low-intensity ultrasound in the clinic.
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