The role of focused ultrasound for pediatric brain tumors: current insights and future implications on treatment strategies

Authors

Kelsi M. Chesney, Department of Neurosurgery, Children's National Hospital, Washington, DC, USA.
Gregory F. Keating, Department of Neurosurgery, Children's National Hospital, Washington, DC, USA.
Nirali Patel, Department of Neurosurgery, Children's National Hospital, Washington, DC, USA.
Lindsay Kilburn, Brain Tumor Institute, Children's National Hospital, Washington, DC, USA.
Adriana Fonseca, Brain Tumor Institute, Children's National Hospital, Washington, DC, USA.
Cheng-Chia Wu, Department of Radiation Oncology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
Javad Nazarian, Brain Tumor Institute, Children's National Hospital, Washington, DC, USA.
Roger J. Packer, Brain Tumor Institute, Children's National Hospital, Washington, DC, USA.
Daniel A. Donoho, Department of Neurosurgery, Children's National Hospital, Washington, DC, USA.
Chima Oluigbo, Department of Neurosurgery, Children's National Hospital, Washington, DC, USA.
John S. Myseros, Department of Neurosurgery, Children's National Hospital, Washington, DC, USA.
Robert F. Keating, Department of Neurosurgery, Children's National Hospital, Washington, DC, USA.
Hasan R. Syed, Department of Neurosurgery, Children's National Hospital, Washington, DC, USA. syedhr@gmail.com.

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

5-3-2024

Journal

Child's nervous system : ChNS : official journal of the International Society for Pediatric Neurosurgery

DOI

10.1007/s00381-024-06413-9

Keywords

Blood-brain barrier disruption; Clinical trials; Focused ultrasound; Glioma; Sonodynamic therapy

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Focused ultrasound (FUS) is an innovative and emerging technology for the treatment of adult and pediatric brain tumors and illustrates the intersection of various specialized fields, including neurosurgery, neuro-oncology, radiation oncology, and biomedical engineering. OBJECTIVE: The authors provide a comprehensive overview of the application and implications of FUS in treating pediatric brain tumors, with a special focus on pediatric low-grade gliomas (pLGGs) and the evolving landscape of this technology and its clinical utility. METHODS: The fundamental principles of FUS include its ability to induce thermal ablation or enhance drug delivery through transient blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption, emphasizing the adaptability of high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) and low-intensity focused ultrasound (LIFU) applications. RESULTS: Several ongoing clinical trials explore the potential of FUS in offering alternative therapeutic strategies for pathologies where conventional treatments fall short, specifically centrally-located benign CNS tumors and diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG). A case illustration involving the use of HIFU for pilocytic astrocytoma is presented. CONCLUSION: Discussions regarding future applications of FUS for the treatment of gliomas include improved drug delivery, immunomodulation, radiosensitization, and other technological advancements.

APA Citation

Chesney, Kelsi M.; Keating, Gregory F.; Patel, Nirali; Kilburn, Lindsay; Fonseca, Adriana; Wu, Cheng-Chia; Nazarian, Javad; Packer, Roger J.; Donoho, Daniel A.; Oluigbo, Chima; Myseros, John S.; Keating, Robert F.; and Syed, Hasan R., "The role of focused ultrasound for pediatric brain tumors: current insights and future implications on treatment strategies" (2024). GW Authored Works. Paper 4979.
https://hsrc.himmelfarb.gwu.edu/gwhpubs/4979

Department

Neurological Surgery