A team of oncologists from the University of Michigan developed a non-invasive sound technique based on ultrasonic waves to destroy in an ultra targeted and mechanical manner liver cancer cells. This technology has a name, sonic histptripsy. Currently undergoing clinical trials on mice, this discovery, published in the journal Cancer, could improve the management of this pathology.
Like an ultrasound which uses sound waves to photograph images of organs and tissues, scientists use a similar technique to target very precisely a liver tumor. The technique breaks down tumors, kills cancer cells and stimulates the immune system to prevent further spread.
“Even if we don't target the entire tumor, we manage to shrink it enough to reduce the risk of future metastases”
The researchers noted that the technique itself only destroys 50% to 75% of liver tumor volumebut the immune system then eliminates the rest of the tumor. Approximately 80% of animals models do not then present no signs of recurrence or metastases. “Even if we don't target the entire tumor, we manage to shrink it enough to reduce the risk of future metastases“, comments lead author Dr. Zhen Xu, professor of biomedical engineering at the University of Michigan, in the study.
You should know that liver cancer ranks among the 10 main causes of death linked to cancer worldwide. According to the National Cancer Institute, 11,658 new cases of liver cancer were recorded in France in 2023almost 80% of which concern men. Even with multiple treatment options, the prognosis remains poor with 5-year survival rates below 18%. The high prevalence of tumor recurrence and metastasis after treatment highlights an unmet clinical need.
These results suggest that histotripsy does not increase the risk of developing metastases after ablation. “Future studies are needed to study the safety, effectiveness and biological effects of this techniquewith a view to possible transposition into the clinic”, conclude the authors of the study.
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