Blood-Brain Barrier Opening in Primary Brain Tumors with Non-invasive MR-Guided Focused Ultrasound: A Clinical Safety and Feasibility Study

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) has long limited therapeutic access to brain tumor and peritumoral tissue. In animals, MR-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) with intravenously injected microbubbles can temporarily and repeatedly disrupt the BBB in a targeted fashion, without open surgery. Our objective is to demonstrate safety and feasibility of MRgFUS BBB opening with systemically administered chemotherapy in patients with glioma in a phase I, single-arm, open-label study. Five patients with previously confirmed or suspected high-grade glioma based on imaging underwent the MRgFUS in conjunction with administration of chemotherapy (n = 1 liposomal doxorubicin, n = 4 temozolomide) one day prior to their scheduled…

• FU
  Focused Ultrasound Foundation
• HF
  Hospital for Sick Children
• NI
  National Institutes of Health

  Award: EB003268