# Focal ultrasound-mediated nonthermal ablation of brain tumors

> **NIH NIH R21** · BOSTON UNIVERSITY (CHARLES RIVER CAMPUS) · 2020 · $25,387

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common and aggressive primary human brain tumor and is
invariably fatal. Standard of care includes debulking of tumor, normally through surgery; however, not all
GBM tumors or patients are eligible for the procedure. Ablation is an effective alternative to surgical
resection, and can be performed noninvasively with transcranial focused ultrasound. In the proposed
project, transcranial focused ultrasound will be combined with a novel phase-shift nanoemulsion (PSNE)
for focal nonthermal ablation of GBM tumors. PSNE can be vaporized with ultrasound pulses and the
resultant bubbles can generate intense mechanical forces that can collapse blood vessels or fractionate
tissue. Vaporization of the nanoemulsions selectively in established GBM tumors will enable highly
localized nonthermal ablation of intracranial tumors while sparing surrounding healthy brain tissue. To test
this premise, we will evaluate the extent of damage and immune response to ablation (i.e. immune cell
infiltration) within and adjacent to sonicated brain tumors as a function of acoustic pressure and PSNE
concentration. We will also analyze ablated regions for expression of ceramide, an apoptotic promoter that
reportedly enhances the efficacy of radiotherapy by more than 10-fold. Lastly, we will assess the impact of
nonthermal focal ablation on the survival of tumor-burdened rats. Overall, we aim to elucidate the
parameters that facilitate safe and effective ultrasound-mediated nonthermal ablation of primary brain
tumors.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9985119
- **Project number:** 5R21EB027506-02
- **Recipient organization:** BOSTON UNIVERSITY (CHARLES RIVER CAMPUS)
- **Principal Investigator:** Tyrone Porter
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $25,387
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-08-01 → 2021-05-18

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9985119

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9985119, Focal ultrasound-mediated nonthermal ablation of brain tumors (5R21EB027506-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-27 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9985119. Licensed CC0.

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