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From the Research
Definition and Mechanism of Histotripsy
- Histotripsy is a noninvasive image-guided focused ultrasound technology that mechanically homogenizes targeted tissues 1.
- It is based on the initiation and control of acoustic cavitation at a target point within the body, which is distinct from conventional thermal ablative modalities 1.
- Histotripsy uses focused ultrasound delivered from outside the body to mechanically destroy tissue through cavitation, rendering the target into acellular debris 2.
Features and Advantages of Histotripsy
- Histotripsy has several features, including nonthermal, noninvasive, high precision, real-time monitoring/feedback, and tissue liquefaction 1.
- It has been shown to stimulate an immune response and induce abscopal effects in animal models, which may have positive implications for future cancer treatment 2.
- Histotripsy has specific clinical advantages, including the capacity for real-time monitoring using ultrasound imaging, diminished heat sink effects, effective removal of the treated tissue, and tissue-selective feature to preserve crucial structures 3.
Applications and Clinical Trials of Histotripsy
- Histotripsy has been investigated for a wide range of applications in preclinical studies, including the treatment of cancer, neurological diseases, and cardiovascular diseases 2.
- Three human clinical trials have been undertaken using histotripsy for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia, liver cancer, and calcified valve stenosis 2.
- Histotripsy has been recently approved by the US Food and Drug Administration to treat liver tumors, with clinical trials undertaken for benign prostatic hyperplasia and renal tumors 3.
- Phase I human trials have shown the initial safety and efficacy of histotripsy in treating patients with malignant liver tumors 4.
Immunological Effects of Histotripsy
- Histotripsy has been shown to stimulate a local and systemic antitumor immune response in preclinical models and potentially in Phase I trials 4.
- The use of histotripsy as intratumoral immunotherapy beyond tissue ablation has been explored, with promising results in preclinical models 4.
- Histotripsy therapies have been shown to release a cellular lysate with the potential to stimulate an immune response, and have been found to have a wide range of immunogenic mechanisms 5.