Ultrasound Technology Developed at U-M Now in Clinical Trials for Liver Cancer

Trial will evaluate the safety and efficacy of histotripsy against liver tumors at eight U.S. sites.

5:00 AM

Author | Ian Demsky

Color wires Microsopic Tissue Ultrasonic waves
Illustration of histotripsy technology. Image courtesy of Medicine at Michigan Magazine.

The University of Michigan is one of eight sites around the country that will enroll patients in a clinical trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of a technology that uses ultrasound to treat liver tumors.

The #HOPE4LIVER trial will employ the noninvasive technique to mechanically destroy primary and metastatic liver tumors.

The technology, called histotripsy, was developed by U-M researchers over more than 15 years and is being commercialized by a U-M startup company, HistoSonics, which is sponsoring the trial.

Using ultrasonic pulses is nothing new to medicine, but the process behind histotripsy is. While previous techniques use heat energy to ablate tissues, histotripsy harnesses the energy of thousands of microbubbles — called cavitation — to emulsify tissue. And it can do so with great precision, narrowly targeting the tissues of interest.

Interventional radiologist Mishal Mendiratta-Lala, M.D., who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of liver cancer and other abdominal cancers, is principal investigator of the U-M trial site.

MORE FROM THE LAB: Subscribe to our weekly newsletter

"We are very excited to help move this technology out of the laboratory and into a clinical trial where we can evaluate its safety and efficacy for patients," she says. "Preclinical models have been very encouraging regarding the technology's ability not only to destroy tumors non-invasively, but also to stimulate the body's immune response to cancer."

As a researcher, Mendiratta-Lala has worked closely with one of the technology's principal inventors, Zhen Xu, Ph.D., a professor of biomedical engineering at U-M, to analyze histotripsy's impact in animal models of liver cancer.

We are very excited to help move this technology out of the laboratory and into a clinical trial where we can evaluate its safety and efficacy for patients.
Mishal Mendiratta-Lala, M.D.

HistoSonics is also conducting clinical trials of the technology in Europe and hopes to expand the use of its platform to other types of solid tumors after the U.S. liver study.

"Anyone close to the field of therapeutic ultrasound knows that the novel science of histotripsy was born from the work of an incredible team of researchers at U-M," says Mike Blue, HistoSonics' president and CEO. "It is only fitting that our collaborating U-M physicians and the hospital are a part of this trial and represent the science that that they discovered and developed alongside the company over the past decade. We could not be happier for everyone who has played a role in getting this platform to where it is today, especially the early inventors and company cofounders."

Meanwhile, histotripsy has also shown promise toward improving immunotherapy.

A study from the lab of U-M surgeon Clifford Cho, M.D., published last year in the Journal for ImmunoThearpy of Cancer, found histotripsy ablation magnified the effect of checkpoint inhibition immunotherapy in mouse models of melanoma and hepatocellular carcinoma.

Disclosures: U-M retains a financial stake in HistoSonics, as do a number of researchers who helped to develop the technology, and each stand to benefit financially from the success of the platform. Serving in the capacity of a paid consultant to the company, Cho is co-principal investigator of the national trial to treat liver tumors in humans; as one of the original researchers into the technology, he also has a financial interest in it.

Like Podcasts? Add the Michigan Medicine News Break on iTunes or anywhere you listen to podcasts.


More Articles About: Health Tech Cancer Research Liver Cancer Clinical Trials Cancer: Help, Diagnosis & Treatment
Health Lab word mark overlaying blue cells
Health Lab

Explore a variety of health care news & stories by visiting the Health Lab home page for more articles.

Media Contact Public Relations

Department of Communication at Michigan Medicine

[email protected]

734-764-2220

Stay Informed

Want top health & research news weekly? Sign up for Health Lab’s newsletters today!

Subscribe
Featured News & Stories frozen dial with ice on it with red dial
Health Lab
Enzyme identified as new therapeutic target for “cold” tumors
A study identifies an enzyme as a new therapeutic target for “cold” tumors.
three friends standing outside rogel cancer center building with big white ribbons
Health Lab
A lung cancer survivor shaping lung cancer advocacy
One woman's unexpected lung cancer diagnosis leads her to help many who aren't aware they're at risk of the disease.
man and woman jogging outside with greenery behind them and fence on sidewalk
Health Lab
Exercise and physical activity help with cancer recovery and prevention
When it comes to living well and preventing cancer, scientists long ago established that exercise and physical activity are key. But some cancer survivors wonder which activities are best for maximizing health benefits. An assistant professor of applied exercise science at the University of Michigan School of Kinesiology talks more.
surgeon close up operating in bright lighted room
Health Lab
In 10 seconds, AI model detects cancerous brain tumor often missed during surgery
Researchers have developed an AI powered model that — in 10 seconds — can determine during surgery if any part of a cancerous brain tumor that could be removed remains, a study published in Nature suggests.
close up of orange and purple squiggle-looking cells merging and a little green in the middle
Health Lab
Researchers find metabolic mechanism that blocks immune response, immunotherapy in cancer
New research has discovered why some cancers don’t respond to immunotherapy treatment: A metabolite transporter within the tumor microenvironment blocks a key type of tumor cell death integral to immune response.
Susan and Richard Rogel pose next to a grand piano. Rogel is wearing a polo shirt with a block M.
News Release
Rogel Cancer Center receives $50M gift to revolutionize pancreatic cancer care, research
New Rogel and Blondy Center for Pancreatic Cancer will bring together researchers and clinicians to drive forward new treatments and improve outcomes