Focused ultrasound uses ultrasonic energy to target tumors or tissue in the brain. Once located, the researchers inject microbubbles into the blood that travel to the targeted tissue then pop, causing small tears of the blood-brain barrier. The ruptures allow drugs to be delivered or biomarkers from a tumor to pass through the blood-brain barrier and release into the blood. Chen and her lab have been perfecting the technique in preclinical models for the past several years.
Chen said she hopes this device can reduce the barriers to the adoption of the FUS technique by the broad research community.
The McKelvey School of Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis promotes independent inquiry and education with an emphasis on scientific excellence, innovation and collaboration without boundaries. McKelvey Engineering has top-ranked research and graduate programs across departments, particularly in biomedical engineering, environmental engineering and computing, and has one of the most selective undergraduate programs in the country. With 140 full-time faculty, 1,387 undergraduate students, 1,448 graduate students and 21,000 living alumni, we are working to solve some of society’s greatest challenges; to prepare students to become leaders and innovate throughout their careers; and to be a catalyst of economic development for the St. Louis region and beyond.
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