Ultrasound breakthrough sheds light on new ways to treat brain diseases

Led by Hong Chen, an associate professor of biomedical engineering, the team discovered a noninvasive and nonpharmaceutical method to enhance glymphatic transport using focused ultrasound. 

So, how does this technique work? Well, focused ultrasound waves are combined with tiny circulating bubbles called microbubbles. 

These microbubbles amplify the effects of the ultrasound waves on the blood vessels, creating a pumping effect that enhances the glymphatic transport in the brain.

By precisely targeting specific regions of the brain, this noninvasive approach has the potential to revolutionize our understanding of brain diseases.

Chen said. “This route for investigating glymphatic transport has the potential to be utilized in the study of glymphatic function in humans, which is currently limited by the absence of noninvasive approaches to access the glymphatic system.”

Advantages of the method

One of the significant advantages of this method is that it allows researchers to investigate the glymphatic pathway in intact brains through intranasal delivery. 

This noninvasive route has tremendous potential for studying glymphatic function in humans. Current approaches are limited due to the lack of noninvasive methods to access the glymphatic system. 

It's a game-changer that could accelerate research and lead to breakthroughs in understanding brain diseases.

In their study, the researchers administered a fluorescently labeled tracer intranasally and then used focused ultrasound waves and microbubbles to enhance its transport within the brain. The results were remarkable. The glymphatic transport was significantly boosted, as confirmed by 3D imaging of the brain tissue. 

Control groups that didn't receive the ultrasound and microbubble treatment showed lower tracer accumulation, solidifying the link between the enhanced transport and the focused ultrasound method.

To further validate their findings, the team compared intranasal delivery with the commonly used invasive method of injecting the tracer directly into the cerebral spinal fluid—the focused ultrasound and microbubble technique consistently improved glymphatic transport in both cases. 

This compelling evidence confirms that this noninvasive approach can potentially enhance waste clearance in the brain.

Excited about the potential of their discovery, the team now aims to apply this noninvasive and nonpharmacological method to combat neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. 

By enhancing waste clearance in the brain, they hope to mitigate the effects of these debilitating conditions and pave the way for groundbreaking treatments.

The findings of this study have opened up a world of possibilities for understanding and treating brain diseases. As we delve deeper into the inner workings of our brains, we inch closer to combating brain diseases that have plagued humanity for far too long. The future of neuroscience is looking brighter than ever before.