Acoustic holography for precise drug delivery into the brain

The aim of this project is to develop non-invasive and personalized brain therapies using the concept of acoustic holography. Acoustic holograms will be used to open the blood brain barrier (BBB) and target desired areas in the brain.

The current method used for BBB opening and drug delivery is focused ultrasound in combination with circulating microbubbles which allows non-invasive, localized and reversible opening of the BBB. However, current methods use single-element transducers which allow treatment of a single area at a time or expensive phased-arrays where multiple locations can be targeted sequentially within a small region. This is limiting its application for diseases that have multiple sites in the brain.

Acoustic holography is an approach which can overcome this limitation using 3D-printed acoustic lenses. These lenses bend the acoustic field into desired shapes, to cover arbitrary brain volumes. Acoustic lenses have recently been used in vivo in mice, but, if progressed to treat patients, they could help treat diseases such as Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, or brain tumors. Acoustic holography is a cheap and safe way to reversibly and non-invasively open the BBB, and then target multiple arbitrary areas. In this project, we will develop lenses tailored to specific species and subjects, aiming at personalized and precise drug delivery into the brain. Fluorescence and gadolinium contrast agents within liposomal carriers will be delivered in vivo to enhance diagnosis, delineation and treatment of brain tumors.