Ep43: Focused Ultrasound Breakthrough for Brain Cancer: A Conversation with Graeme Woodworth, MD

The blood-brain barrier (BBB), while essential for protecting the brain from toxins, has long been one of the greatest obstacles in treating brain diseases, particularly aggressive cancers like glioblastoma. Most chemotherapy drugs simply cannot reach the brain in effective concentrations, leaving patients with limited treatment options and poor outcomes.

In this episode of Curing with Sound, we speak with Graeme Woodworth, MD, Chair of the Department of Neurosurgery at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, whose work is transforming the landscape of brain tumor treatment through the use of focused ultrasound–mediated BBB opening. Dr. Woodworth discusses the role of microbubbles, his efforts to develop a real-time monitoring and dosing strategy for BBB opening, and the exciting results from his multicenter glioblastoma clinical trial.

Discussion highlights:

• Glioblastoma Clinical Trial: Results published in Lancet Oncology report, for the first time, a possible survival benefit among newly diagnosed glioblastoma (GBM) patients treated with focused ultrasound + temozolomide (or TMZ, a chemotherapy drug). Researchers used focused ultrasound to noninvasively open the BBB in GBM patients before administering TMZ. When compared with a matched control group, a 40% increase in overall survival was observed.
• Published Findings for Measuring and Predicting BBB Opening: Researchers established a real-time, ultrasound-based “dose” measurement—using acoustic emissions from microbubble oscillations—to accurately predict when focused ultrasound will open the blood-brain barrier in glioblastoma patients. They discovered a non-linear dose–response range where blood-brain barrier opening is maximized, enabling safer, more precise, and more effective treatment monitoring.

EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

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