Acoustic cluster therapy: An overview of research in cancer treatment

Abstract

This presentation provides an overview of research on acoustic cluster therapy (ACT) in cancer treatment. ACT is a promising approach to enhancing the delivery of drugs to cancer cells that involves the use of intravenously injected clusters of microbubbles and microdroplets, which are activated by diagnostic ultrasound at the tumor site. Upon activation, the clusters expand to form bubbles of 20–40 μm diameter. When modulated by low-pressure (MI ∼ 0.2) low-frequency (∼500 kHz) ultrasound while they sit in the tumor capillaries, these bubbles generate biomechanical effects that improve drug extravasation and interstitial permeation. They dissolve after 5–10 min. The technique has been used to temporarily open the blood brain barrier, improve the effectiveness of various chemotherapeutics in a range of tumor models, and provide ACT-imaging biomarkers that predict therapeutic outcome. It has exhibited no adverse effects to-date in a phase I/II clinical trial and improved clinical response of colorectal cancer liver metastases to chemotherapy. Ongoing research is investigating the potential synergistic effects of ACT with immunotherapy.