Ultrasound-excited temozolomide sonosensitization induces necroptosis in glioblastoma

Temozolomide (TMZ) has been determined to be the chemotherapeutic drug with efficacy for glioblastoma (GBM). Thus, potentiating the therapeutic effect of TMZ can undoubtedly yield twice the result with half the effort. In this study, we found for the first time that TMZ can produce reactive oxygen species (ROS) under the influence of ultrasound (US). This property allows TMZ-US therapy to have better efficacy in the treatment of GBM. Given that the increasing use of US in central nervous system (CNS) diseases and the importance of TMZ for GBM therapy, our results will facilitate the development of TMZ-associated glioblastoma therapies. Moreover, we found that chemotherapeutic drugs might have the ability to generate ROS under the excitation of US. On a larger scale, our findings may be applicable to a wide range of known drugs.