Irreversible electroporation promotes a pro-inflammatory tumor microenvironment and anti-tumor immunity in a mouse pancreatic cancer model.

Pancreatic cancer is a significant cause of cancer-related mortality and often presents with limited treatment options. Pancreatic tumors are also notorious for their immunosuppressive microenvironment. Irreversible electroporation (IRE) is a non-thermal tumor ablation modality that employs high-voltage microsecond pulses to transiently permeabilize cell membranes, ultimately inducing cell death.

Ablative and Immunostimulatory Effects of Histotripsy Ablation in a Murine Osteosarcoma Model.

: Osteosarcoma (OS) is the most frequently occurring malignant bone tumor in humans, primarily affecting children and adolescents. Significant advancements in treatment options for OS have not occurred in the last several decades, and the prognosis remains grim with only a 70% rate of 5-year survival. The objective of this study was to investigate the focused ultrasound technique of histotripsy as a novel, noninvasive treatment option for OS.

Ultrasound-guided noninvasive pancreas ablation using histotripsy: feasibility study in an porcine model.

Pancreatic cancer is a malignant disease associated with poor survival and nearly 80% present with unresectable tumors. Treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy have shown overall improved survival benefits, albeit limited. Histotripsy is a noninvasive, non-ionizing, and non-thermal focused ultrasound ablation modality that has shown efficacy in treating hepatic tumors and other malignancies.

Histotripsy for the Treatment of Uterine Leiomyomas: A Feasibility Study in Ex Vivo Uterine Fibroids.

Uterine fibroids (leiomyomas), the most common benign tumors in women of reproductive age, are a frequent cause of abnormal vaginal bleeding and other reproductive complaints among women. This study investigates the feasibility of using histotripsy, a non-invasive, non-thermal focused ultrasound ablation method, to ablate uterine fibroids. Human fibroid samples (n = 16) were harvested after hysterectomy or myomectomy procedures at Carilion Memorial Hospital.

Employing Novel Porcine Models of Subcutaneous Pancreatic Cancer to Evaluate Oncological Therapies.

Immunocompromised mice are commonly utilized to study pancreatic cancer and other malignancies. The ability to xenograft tumors in either subcutaneous or orthotopic locations provides a robust model to study diverse biological features of human malignancies. However, there is a dire need for large animal models that better recapitulate human anatomy in terms of size and physiology.

Histotripsy for the Treatment of Cholangiocarcinoma in a Patient-Derived Xenograft Mouse Model.

Histotripsy is a focused ultrasound ablation therapy being developed for the treatment of liver tumors. A recent study investigating the feasibility of using histotripsy for the ablation of cholangiocarcinoma (CC), bile duct cancer that is difficult to treat with current therapies because of its location near critical structures and fibrous tissue, reported the feasibility of treating CC in an acute mouse model. Here, we investigate histotripsy for the in vivo ablation of CC in a chronic study using a 1-MHz transducer at an applied dose of 500 pulses/point.

Histotripsy Ablation in Preclinical Animal Models of Cancer and Spontaneous Tumors in Veterinary Patients: A Review.

New therapeutic strategies are direly needed in the fight against cancer. Over the last decade, several tumor ablation strategies have emerged as stand-alone or combination therapies. Histotripsy is the first completely noninvasive, nonthermal, and nonionizing tumor ablation method.

Histotripsy Ablation of Bone Tumors: Feasibility Study in Excised Canine Osteosarcoma Tumors.

Osteosarcoma (OS) is a primary bone tumor affecting both dogs and humans. Histotripsy is a non-thermal, non-invasive focused ultrasound method using controlled acoustic cavitation to mechanically disintegrate tissue. In this study, we investigated the feasibility of treating primary OS tumors with histotripsy using a 500-kHz transducer on excised canine OS samples harvested after surgery at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital at Virginia Tech.

Immunological Effects of Histotripsy for Cancer Therapy.

Cancer is the second leading cause of death worldwide despite major advancements in diagnosis and therapy over the past century. One of the most debilitating aspects of cancer is the burden brought on by metastatic disease. Therefore, an ideal treatment protocol would address not only debulking larger primary tumors but also circulating tumor cells and distant metastases.

Histotripsy Ablation Alters the Tumor Microenvironment and Promotes Immune System Activation in a Subcutaneous Model of Pancreatic Cancer.

Pancreatic cancer is a significant cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States with an abysmal five-year overall survival rate that is under 9%. Reasons for this mortality include the lack of late-stage treatment options and the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. Histotripsy is an ultrasound-guided, noninvasive, nonthermal tumor ablation therapy that mechanically lyses targeted cells.

Histotripsy for the Treatment of Cholangiocarcinoma Liver Tumors: In Vivo Feasibility and Ex Vivo Dosimetry Study.

Histotripsy is a noninvasive, nonionizing, and nonthermal focused ultrasound ablation method that is currently being developed for the treatment of liver cancer. Promisingly, histotripsy has been shown for ablating primary [hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)] and metastatic [colorectal liver metastasis (CLM)] liver tumors in preclinical and early clinical studies. The feasibility of treating cholangiocarcinoma (CC), a less common primary liver tumor that arises from the bile ducts, has not been explored previously.