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Updated: Mar 3, 2026
Sonodynamic Therapy for the Treatment of Glioblastoma Multiforme in a Mouse Model Using a Portable Benchtop Focused Ultrasound System
Published on: February 10, 2023
Current status and future perspectives of sonodynamic therapy in glioma treatment
Xiaobing Wang1, Yali Jia1, Pan Wang2
1College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710062, Shaanxi, China; Paul C. Lauterbur Research Center for Biomedical Imaging, Institute of Biomedical and Health Engineering, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China.
Abstract:
Malignant glioma is one of the most challenging central nervous system diseases to treat, and has high rates of recurrence and mortality. The current therapies include surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy, although these approaches often failed to control tumor progression or improve patient survival. Sonodynamic therapy is a developing cancer treatment that uses ultrasound combined with a sonosensitizer to synergistically kill tumor cells, and has provided impressive results in both in vitro and in vivo studies. The ultrasound waves can penetrate deep tissues and reversibly open the blood-brain barrier to enhance drug delivery to the brain. Thus, sonodynamic therapy has a promising potential in glioma treatment. In this review, we summarize the studies that have confirmed the pre-clinical efficacy of sonodynamic therapy for glioma treatment, and discuss the future directions for this emerging treatment.
Insights
Sonodynamic therapy shows promise for treating malignant glioma, a difficult brain cancer. This ultrasound-based treatment can enhance drug delivery and kill tumor cells, offering new hope for patients.
Area of Science:
- Neuro-oncology
- Biomedical Engineering
- Cancer Therapy
Background:
- Malignant glioma presents significant treatment challenges with high recurrence and mortality rates.
- Conventional therapies like surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy have limited efficacy in controlling tumor progression and improving survival.
- Sonodynamic therapy (SDT) is an emerging modality utilizing ultrasound and sonosensitizers for synergistic tumor cell killing.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review preclinical studies evaluating the efficacy of sonodynamic therapy for malignant glioma.
- To discuss the potential of SDT in overcoming challenges in glioma treatment.
- To explore future directions for SDT in clinical applications for brain tumors.
Main Methods:
- Review of preclinical research on sonodynamic therapy in glioma models.
- Analysis of ultrasound's role in penetrating tissues and opening the blood-brain barrier.
- Evaluation of sonosensitizer mechanisms in combination with ultrasound.
Main Results:
- Sonodynamic therapy has demonstrated significant preclinical efficacy against glioma in vitro and in vivo.
- Ultrasound facilitates deep tissue penetration and reversible opening of the blood-brain barrier, improving drug delivery to the brain.
- Synergistic effects of ultrasound and sonosensitizers lead to effective tumor cell destruction.
Conclusions:
- Sonodynamic therapy is a promising approach for malignant glioma treatment due to its ability to target tumors and enhance drug delivery.
- Further research and clinical trials are warranted to translate preclinical findings into effective patient therapies.
- SDT offers a novel strategy to improve outcomes for patients with challenging brain cancers.
