Applied Physics Seminar | Histotripsy: Crushing Cancer with Acoustic Cavitation

Abstract:

Histotripsy is emerging as a groundbreaking, non-invasive, non-ionizing mechanical ablation modality with significant implications for locoregional antitumor therapies and immunotherapy. This technique utilizes focused ultrasound pulses to generate acoustic cavitation bubble clouds, achieving precise and localized mechanical destruction of targeted tissues. By concentrating on mechanical disintegration rather than thermal ablation, histotripsy achieves highly controlled focal pressure regions, preserving essential tissues and promoting rapid recovery through the transformation of targeted tissues into an acellular homogenate that the body can readily absorb. Histotripsy aligns with the medical trend towards minimally invasive interventions and has the potential to be applied to a host of solid tumor phenotypes. Recently approved by the FDA for clinical use in liver tumor treatment as of October 2023, histotripsy has demonstrated substantial preclinical success and is the subject of ongoing and upcoming clinical trials. This presentation will delve into the innovation and application of histotripsy, highlighting its unique benefits over traditional anti tumor modalities and its promising future in addressing complex medical challenges with precision and minimal side effects.