Focused ultrasound

[Beckey]

This sounds interesting:

insidenova.com/news/state/t...

"A hallmark of Parkinson's disease is the abnormal accumulation of a protein called alpha-synuclein, which leads to unhealthy brain cells and neurodegeneration. Promising treatments to reduce alpha-synuclein accumulation, however, have been limited by their inability to cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and reach the target.

"José Obeso, MD, PhD, of the Centro Integral de Neurociencias (HM CINAC) in Madrid recently led the first clinical trial in the world to use focused ultrasound to temporarily and reversibly open the BBB in the putamen region of the striatum of Parkinson's patients. To date, seven patients have been treated.

"In another groundbreaking clinical trial, Nir Lipsman, MD, PhD, is co-leading a team of researchers at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and University Health Network in Toronto who are the first in the world to use focused ultrasound.

"The goal of this trial is to examine the safety of temporarily opening the blood-brain barrier in key motor regions known to be implicated in Parkinson's disease and delivering promising therapeutics directly to these areas of the brain," said Dr. Lipsman, Director of Sunnybrook's Harquail Centre for Neuromodulation.

[jeffreyn]

See also the following recent thread:

healthunlocked.com/parkinso...

[jocelyng]

Not covered by insurance for PD yet. Costs about $30k. My MDS says is in the pipeline and should have insurance coverage in the next year or two.

[jeffreyn in reply to jocelyng]

From Beckey's linked article: "The team is using low-intensity ultrasound waves to cause a temporary opening in the BBB, which allows access to the striatum and the direct delivery of an enzyme replacement therapy (glucocerebrosidase)."

This is quite different from the procedure that you are referring to.

[jocelyng in reply to jeffreyn]

I’m talking about Focused Ultrasound.

[Hidden in reply to jocelyng]

The opening post is about using Focused Ultrasound to open the BBB, not what you are referring to.

[lenamm in reply to jocelyng]

FUS is a tool. It can be used to do surgery (there are three for PD) . This is using it for opening the BBB to deliver a drug. This is a drug trial using FUS for delivery.

[jeffreyn]

See also this recent PNT article.

Two Small Trials Evaluating Focused Ultrasound in Treating Parkinson’s:

parkinsonsnewstoday.com/202...