Something to look forward to: Startups and researchers around the world are ramping up efforts to develop novel therapeutic approaches to cancer treatment. A China-born researcher is exploring the use of ultrasound to target cancerous cells, potentially turning traditionally invasive procedures into safer, less disruptive forms of care.
HistoSonics, a company founded by biomedical engineer Zhen Xu in 2009, is developing a technique called histotripsy to target different types of cancer. Xu has been refining the approach for years in an effort to treat tumor cells without the need for incisions or other potentially invasive procedures.
According to HistoSonics's website, histotripsy is based on focused ultrasound energy. By using high-amplitude, very short ultrasound pulses, the system generates a "bubble cloud" that mechanically disrupts liver tumors at the sub-cellular level. Cancerous cells are liquefied, while surrounding healthy tissue is intended to remain intact.
Earlier this year, Time magazine listed HistoSonics as one of the 10 most influential health and life science ventures in the world. Following a recent funding round and stake acquisition, the company was valued at $2.25 billion. Xu's work on histotripsy was also recognized with the Sony Women in Technology Award, though development of the technology appears to be still in its early stages.
Localized treatments that spare healthy tissue are now a major focus in cancer research. Chemotherapy and other traditional approaches can have significant side effects, while non-invasive methods such as histotripsy could offer meaningful improvements in patient outcomes and quality of life.
Dr. Xu became interested in ultrasound applications beyond sonography during her doctoral studies at the University of Michigan, after completing her earlier education in China. She was also motivated by personal experience, as her husband's family had lost two relatives to cancer.
HistoSonics' ultrasound technology was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in 2023. More recently, the treatment has also received approval from health authorities in the UK, Hong Kong, and other regions. The company is now looking to expand histotripsy to other tumor types following a pilot study involving 67 patients with kidney cancer.
On a global scale, histotripsy has already been used to treat around 4,000 patients. Earlier this year, Gleneagles Hospital Hong Kong used the technique to treat two patients with pancreatic cancer. Additional clinical trials involving kidney, prostate, and soft-tissue tumors are also underway.
HistoSonics has also worked with Sony to improve the ultrasound system, particularly in imaging and visualization capabilities. Xu said histotripsy could represent a significant breakthrough in cancer research – one of those rare developments in science that occurs perhaps once every several decades.