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Brain Implant Could Prevent Glioblastoma Relapse with Ultrasound Drug Delivery
Preclinical tests in mice and human tissue showed the implant spread drugs over a much larger area and could help limit glioblastoma recurrence.
- MIT researchers developed a miniature implant called LUCIS that combines a drug-delivery cannula with 24 ultrasound transducers to improve medication distribution directly into brain tissue for glioblastoma patients.
- Glioblastoma is an aggressive cancer with an average survival of 12 to 15 months after diagnosis, as standard treatments often fail because passive-diffusion wafers cannot reach all remaining tumor cells.
- Equipped with 24 ultrasound transducers, the flexible device features a cannula as thin as a human hair and holds up to 100 microliters of fluid, with delivery remotely controlled via Bluetooth.
- Experiments in mice and "tissue phantom" gels showed ultrasound-aided delivery spread drug molecules farther than passive methods, reducing toxicity in nontarget organs while enhancing therapy reach.
- Future iterations could deliver immunotherapies or gene therapies to organs beyond the brain, though MIT researchers note clinical testing is pending before human implantation can begin.
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Implantable drug-delivery device could help prevent recurrence of glioblastoma
Patients with glioblastoma, an aggressive type of brain tumor, usually undergo surgery to remove the tumor. However, it's difficult for surgeons to remove all of the cancer cells, and the tumor often recurs.
·Mona Vale, Australia
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MIT technology combines a reservoir of drugs and 24 ultrasound transducers to improve distribution in the brain
·Madrid, Spain
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A MIT team developed LUCID, an experimental implant that combines a drug cannula with 24 ultrasound transducers. Tests in tissue-like material and mice showed a wider distribution of molecules, although they still do not demonstrate that the device prevents the recurrence of glioblastoma in patients.
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Leaning Left1Leaning Right6Center3Last UpdatedBias Distribution60% Right
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C 30%
R 60%
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