FOCUSED ULTRASOUND
Focused ultrasound (FUS) is a medical treatment that uses sound waves to target a specific area inside the body. It does not require surgery — doctors do not need to open the skull — and it does not use radiation.
How Does It Work?
Focused ultrasound can work in three main ways:
- Ablation: Like laser surgery, focused sound waves can heat up and destroy unwanted tissue.
- Sonodynamic therapy: Focused ultrasound can activate an otherwise non-toxic drug that becomes harmful only when hit by sound waves. This approach uses very little heat and targets only the problem area.
- Microbubbles: Tiny gas-filled bubbles called microbubbles can be used with focused ultrasound. The sound waves cause the bubbles to expand, which briefly opens the protective barrier around the brain. Scientists believe this may help the brain repair itself.
Focused Ultrasound and Cavernous Malformation
Researchers have used focused ultrasound to treat about 2,000 patients with brain conditions, mostly brain tumors and tremors, but they have not yet tested it in people with cavernous malformation (CCM). Meanwhile, researchers at the University of Virginia have studied it in mouse models and made a promising discovery: FUS + microbubbles may be able to slow the growth of CCM lesions — or even shrink them. This exciting finding could one day help our patients.
What the Alliance Is Doing
The Alliance to Cure Cavernous Malformation is partnering with the Focused Ultrasound Foundation and the University of Virginia to support and advance this research. To learn more about the technology, visit the Focused Ultrasound Foundation website. You can learn more about our Alliance to Cure Research Programs here.
Updated 6.29.26
