If you are a parent, you probably looked at your child through a ultrasonic procedure to see soft tissue that uses high frequency sound waves. Everything is, one of them Most popular image tools. But his uses extend beyond prenatal care.
One of the best examples is a focused low-intensity ultrasonium, or life, which understands lower energy intensons than traditional ultrasound. It is quickly created for a safe approach to a range of treatment, low and invasive cost. Researchers are the three most hopeful uses for the life they are currently under study.
American scientific talk Elisa CongophaguBiomedical engineer at the University of Columbia, about Current research expectations and the direction of the area directing. Konofagou designs ultrasonic technologies to achieve better image and signal processing, and specializes in measuring changes in tissues dependent on therapeutic ultrasounds. It is collaborating with doctors to translate clinical research and develop the technologies developed in the laboratory to real-world settings.
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(It follows the edited transcript of the conversation.Diagnies
When did scientists began with low-intensity ultrasonic focused ultrasound that had a wider health application?
There is a piece of science in 1923, scientists who were used by ultrasonic waves to destroy the fogs and red blood cells. So they knew something happened with ultrasound and biological fabrics. In the 1930s, the nerves tried to treat with therapeutic ultrasounds, and in the 1950s, the brain.
What attracts you to the field and want to offer you to learn this career?
In fact, it is completely invasive, and you can actually focus on a millimeter-sized region. Science is like fiction for me, in fact, if you usually want to be treated deeply somewhere in the body, you will need to do the surgery. In this case, you are able to introduce depth in a depth in an underscored organ. This includes brain. It’s a bit difficult for fathom, but the Eriper passes through the skull.
Your laboratory can be used to obtain drugs after the bloodstream barrier. Can you tell me more about this work?
Some of our works focus on opening a blood brain barrier temporarily, the structure like a filter in the brain and does not allow drug molecules. We meet with drug companies, with non-effective products because they stop blood brain barriers. We have these little micro-bubbles in the bloodstream. Ultrasonic frequencies are designed to echoes. Along with life we use blood vessels to mechanically match the bloodstream barrier. This relaxes the ships so you can spend drugs.
For example, we are trying to apply Alzheimer’s treatment. Others have opened a blood brain barrier, antibodies that aim to reduce the amyloid, plaques that form in the brains of people with disease, and the dose of the brain volume of the brain and the goal of the brain to increase the brain. The volume of amyoid beta was found to reduce the opening volume and therefore the dose of the antibody received. But without antibodic treatment, our team has only found the opening of the ultrasound focused blood barrier with focalized ultrasound. So there are many ways to get the ultrasound of Alzheimer’s worth of research.
Have I heard that a similar approach can also be used for treatment treatments?
Yes, that’s a very interesting integrity of how you can use the Erip. Drugs for Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and other neurodegenerative diseases do not enter the brain, cancer drugs cannot be properly reached the brain tumors.
Our team was the first, for example, to open a life brain barrier and deliver drugs inherent pontin gliomases. We treated six patients aged six to 17, soon posted in the published safety study.
Patients were initially weakened as a result of the events of the tumor, in the field of brains in charge of mobility. Although we could not show control of the tumor, the patients showed greater ease and comfort immediately after treatment. This is important because it improves the quality of life for these patients. They are able to feed them, play their iPad and embrace family members. Next month we are doing the second study linked to a generic life of Lifu, determining that this combination achieves better tumor control.
Do you know a large part of the psychiatric work that is happening with Lifur?
Yes, psychiatric applications seem even more like science fiction! Ultrasound reaches the brain, so no bubbles, without drugs, it’s just the same sound. Ultrasound activates neurons and other brain cells such as microglia and astropyles, basically maintain healthy brain. Cells respond to these mechanical waves, and their connectivity changes. In very secular, ultrasound remodel the brain temporarily. More research is needed about how it works, but thinking that reorganization helps to revitalize or inhibit brain circuits that are beneficial to treat such conditions.
Some psychiatric disorders seem to respond to it. Obsessive-compulsive disorder is what most we respond to the most. There are also some people Looking at anxiety disorders Ultrasound focusing on the Amygdala. .
We have also seen this, opening the blood brain barrier, stimulating the brain itself and called neuromodulator consequences. We are able to treat sensation of depression and pain. Our laboratories are also using ERIVUs to treat pain outside the peripheral stimulation of the peripheral nerve and outside the spinal cord. Instead of treating the brain, you treat the region of the nerve that causes pain sensation. Working with Columbia Neurojeians, we have been relieving life for a few days. We also work with people with neuropathy and nerve tumors.
This technology is not in addition to being invasive, what are other advantages for patients?
It is very portable. This means that we can take the treatment to the patient, against the treatment of the patient. It is a great advantage especially for the elderly patients and those of Alzheimer’s. Being portable means that it means much more expensive, because you don’t have to keep a technician.
What do you think are the biggest challenges to carry on the field?
The biggest challenge is to convince the FDA that is safe Life, and then practicing makes it easier to use. The good news is to focus on high intensity ultrasound (HIFU) in the US and achieved prostate cancer and essential tremors. (HiFu uses higher energy levels to destroy the target tissues, such as tumor cells.) Eripi stimulates the fabric, so it is safer than the hifu, which sparks the fabric. But it’s newer, so we need to get the FDA embracing.
Where do you expect the field to last with life?
In the future, I think hospitals will be therapeutic ultrasonic suite, where you need to achieve the application for treatment, facilitating and increasing the drug dose in the target area, or treat psychiatric humor and disorders.
