Research: New ultrasound technique reveals deadly brain cancer's invasion plan

Scientists from the California Institute of Technology in the USA have developed a new ultrasound technology that visualizes in real-time how glioblastoma, one of the most aggressive and deadly brain tumors, nests within brain tissue. In the study, a three-mode ultrasound platform that combines tumor growth, brain activity, and vascular remodeling in a single shot was tested on awake experimental animals. Thanks to the developed system, the deadly interaction of human glioblastoma cells, marked with bioengineering methods, with surrounding tissues was monitored step by step for 11 days from the moment they settled in the mouse's brain.

'PUSHING BRAIN TISSUE'

The imaging revealed that the rapidly growing glioblastoma tumor physically displaces healthy brain centers with vital functions. Examinations determined that the tumor completely reshapes the surrounding blood vessel network according to its own needs. It was observed that the vessels around the tumor narrowed, significantly slowing blood flow; while the cancerous tissue established a unique microcirculation pattern independent of the blood flow rhythm of the surrounding healthy brain.

It was noted that glioblastoma, with a five-year survival rate of only 5 to 7 percent, is one of the most difficult cancers to treat due to its direct fusion with healthy brain cells. The research team leader, chemical engineer Mikhail Shapiro, stated that their method illuminates the spatial spread of the tumor in the living brain at the cellular level. Experts reported that real-time tracking of how cancer invades surrounding tissues will play a groundbreaking role in measuring the impact of drugs and treatments on both the tumor and the vascular network.