Feasibility of noninvasive cavitation-guided blood-brain barrier opening using focused ultrasound and microbubbles in nonhuman primates.

In vivo transcranial and noninvasive cavitation detection with blood-brain barrier (BBB) opening in nonhuman primates is hereby reported. The BBB in monkeys was opened transcranically using focused ultrasound (FUS) in conjunction with microbubbles. A passive cavitation detector, confocal with the FUS transducer, was used to identify and monitor the bubble behavior. During sonication, the cavitation spectrum, which was found to be region-, pressure-, and bubble-dependent, provided real-time feedback regarding the opening occurrence and its properties. These findings demonstrate feasibility of transcranial, cavitation-guided BBB opening using FUS and microbubbles in noninvasive human applications.

Introduction

Purpose Drug delivery with BBB opening

Study Objective To demonstrate the feasibility of noninvasive transcranial, cavitation-guided blood-brain barrier opening in nonhuman primates using focused ultrasound with microbubbles and passive cavitation detection.

Animal model / Human subject nonhuman primate, not specified, not specified, not specified

MRI or image guidance method Passive cavitation detector confocal with the FUS transducer (cavitation-guided)

Outcomes and Safety

Summary of Outcomes Transcranial focused ultrasound combined with microbubbles noninvasively opened the blood–brain barrier in nonhuman primates, with successful cavitation-guided openings dependent on brain region, acoustic pressure, and microbubble parameters.

Safety-related matter No adverse effects are reported; the study emphasizes using a passive cavitation detector to provide real-time feedback on bubble behavior during FUS-mediated BBB opening, implying a safety-monitoring approach for cavitation-guided procedures.

Brain Region

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Ultrasound Parameters

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