Thermal and Mechanical (Histotripsy) Ablation
Focused ultrasound (FUS) is capable of rapidly heating tumors to thermally ablative temperatures. An alternative form of focused ultrasound called histotripsy ablates tumors mechanically. Extracorporeal application obviates the need for catheterization, injection or implantation. FUS can be targeted with millimeter precision under MRI or ultrasound guidance, thereby allowing for thermal damage and destruction of tumor tissue without compromising healthy intervening or peripheral tissues. The bioeffects of FUS hold distinct implications for tumor antigenicity, immune cell activation and trafficking.
Selected Recent Center Publications
Thim, E.A., L.E. Petricca, F. Rivera-Escalera, A.S. Mathew, M.R. Elliot, T.N.J Bullock, and R.J. Price (2024) Boiling Histotripsy Monotherapy Yields Abscopal Melanoma Control and Drives Dendritic Cell Activation and Acquisition of Tumor Antigen. Theranostics. DOI: 10.7150/thno.92089. PMID: 38389838.
Thim, E.A., T. Fox, T. Deering, L.R. Vass, N.D. Sheybani, M. Kester, and R.J. Price (2023) Solid Tumor Treatment via Augmentation of Bioactive C6 Ceramide Levels with Thermally Ablative Focused Ultrasound. Drug Deliv. Transl. Res. doi: 10.1007/s13346-023-01377-w. PIMD: 37335416.
§Sheybani, N.D., §A.R. Witter, E.A. Thim, T.N.J. Bullock, and R.J. Price (2020) Combination of Thermally Ablative Focused Ultrasound With Gemcitabine Controls Breast Cancer via Adaptive Immunity. J Immunother Cancer. 8:e001008. PMID: 32819975
Sheybani N.D. and R.J. Price (2019) Perspectives on Recent Progress in Focused Ultrasound Immunotherapy. Theranostics. 9: 7749-7758. DOI:10.7150/thno.37131. PMID: 31695798.