Non-invasive ultrasound treatment to remove osteosarcoma bone tumors
Official title: Image-guided Histotripsy System for Complete, Uniform, and Non-Invasive Ablation of Heterogeneous Osteosarcoma Tumors
Funded at Virginia Polytechnic Inst and St Univ · NIH-11321614 · Data updated 2026-11-12
They are developing an image-guided ultrasound device to non-surgically break up osteosarcoma tumors in children and adults.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Virginia Polytechnic Inst and St Univ NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Blacksburg, United States) |
| Project start | May 1, 2024 |
| Project end | April 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $630,563 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA289288-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11321614 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Children and adults with primary appendicular osteosarcoma who are candidates for targeted, image-guided treatment would be the most likely participants.
✕Less likely to help
People with widespread metastatic disease, tumors that cannot be safely reached or targeted by ultrasound, or other non-osteosarcoma bone cancers may not benefit from this approach.
What this research studies
If you or your child has osteosarcoma, this project is designing an image-guided histotripsy device that uses focused ultrasound to break tumors into harmless debris without surgery. The researchers are tailoring the device to handle tumors that mix bone and soft tissue while sparing nearby nerves, blood vessels, and bone. They will refine the technology using imaging, engineering, and preclinical tests that mimic pediatric and adult tumors to find settings that give complete and uniform tissue breakdown. If these steps succeed, the device could later be tested in patients at the institution.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could provide a non-surgical, limb-sparing treatment option that lowers the need for amputation and preserves mobility.
How similar studies have gone: Histotripsy and focused-ultrasound methods have shown promising preclinical and early clinical results in other tumors, but applying image-guided histotripsy to heterogeneous osteosarcoma is largely new.
Where this research is happening
-
Virginia Polytechnic Inst and St Univ
Blacksburg, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Vlaisavljevich, Eli — Virginia Polytechnic Inst and St Univ
- Study coordinator: Vlaisavljevich, Eli
Related research
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Targeting OST Redundancy to Treat Osteosarcoma
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.