Entering the Age of Simultaneous Diagnosis and Treatment by Using Low-Intensity Ultrasound Energy

Abstract

of drugs is enhanced due to the drug being more charged inside the cell through these stomas (Figure 1). Particularly because cancer cells definitely have more fragile cellular membranes compared with normal cells, the formation of stomas or lacunars is most likely to happen with low-intensity ultrasound [3,4]. Furthermore, it has become clear that the concomitant therapy of anti-angiogenesis drugs and low-intensity ultrasound blocks the angiogenic factor Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) produced by cancer cells, inhibits the induction of circulating endothelial progenitor cells in the bone marrow, and expedites angiogenic inhibitor thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1). Additionally, apoptosis induction by low-intensity ultrasound was clarified, which is a powerful biological effect that can be applied to cancer treatment. Results supporting apoptosis induction were also obtained in our study using a uterine sarcoma model, revealing it as an important biological effect, together with the enhancement effect of drug penetration in our method. Based on research achievements in recent years, we predict that the current diagnostic device for color Doppler ultrasound imaging will be improved in the near future, bringing with it the arrival of an age of “low-intensity ultrasound treatment that simultaneously enables diagnosis and treatment of cancer in real time.”