Using focused ultrasound to help immunotherapy fight metastatic breast cancer
Immunoengineering Next-Generation Cancer Therapies with Focused Ultrasound
This project pairs noninvasive focused ultrasound with immunotherapy to help the immune system attack metastatic breast cancer.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Virginia NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Charlottesville, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11169863 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If I have metastatic breast cancer, this work uses focused ultrasound — a noninvasive sound-wave treatment — to make tumors more visible to immune cells and reduce immune suppression. The approach is combined with immunotherapy drugs such as PD‑1 blockers and in some cases chemotherapy to try to boost anti-tumor immune responses. Researchers will follow both animal and human data and use PET/CT scans that track CD8+ T cell infiltration into tumors to see how the treatment changes the immune response. The program links ongoing clinical trials at the University of Virginia with laboratory studies to speed translation to patients.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are people with metastatic breast cancer who are eligible for immunotherapy and able to travel to a trial site for focused ultrasound treatments and PET/CT imaging.
Not a fit: Patients with early-stage breast cancer, those ineligible for immunotherapy, or those whose tumors cannot be safely targeted by focused ultrasound may not benefit from this work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could make immunotherapy work better against metastatic breast cancer, leading to more tumor shrinkage and longer survival for some patients.
How similar studies have performed: Early first-in-human trials combining focused ultrasound with PD‑1 blockers and other agents are underway and show promise, but the approach is still experimental.
Where this research is happening
Charlottesville, United States
- University of Virginia — Charlottesville, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Sheybani, Natasha Diba — University of Virginia
- Study coordinator: Sheybani, Natasha Diba
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.