Precise, safe focused‑ultrasound treatment for liver tumors
Developing Methods for Precise, Safe and Target-location Specific Histotripsy of Liver Tumors
This project is trying a non‑invasive focused‑ultrasound method called histotripsy to destroy liver tumors while protecting nearby structures for people with liver cancer.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Wisconsin-Madison NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Madison, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11163392 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would hear researchers describing a special ultrasound approach called histotripsy that breaks up tumor tissue using controlled cavitation rather than heat or radiation. The team is refining how to target tumors anywhere in a human‑sized liver by testing in large animal models and improving motion control during breathing using high‑frequency ventilation or cone‑beam CT tracking. They are especially focused on treating tumors next to bile ducts and bowel, because early work suggests histotripsy can spare those collagenous structures while producing a sharp boundary between treated and normal tissue. The goal is to make this approach reliable and safe so more patients could be eligible for curative ablation in the future.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates would be adults with liver tumors (primary or metastatic) that are near critical structures and who are considering ablative treatment options.
Not a fit: Patients with widely metastatic disease unlikely to benefit from local curative therapy or who have medical contraindications to ablation may not gain direct benefit from this work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could increase the number of liver tumor patients who can receive curative, non‑invasive ablation while lowering the risk of damaging nearby bile ducts or bowel.
How similar studies have performed: Early animal studies and limited human feasibility reports suggest histotripsy can destroy liver tissue and spare ducts, but larger clinical validation is still needed.
Where this research is happening
Madison, United States
- University of Wisconsin-Madison — Madison, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ziemlewicz, Timothy J — University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Study coordinator: Ziemlewicz, Timothy J
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 below.