Ultrasound, a reverberating pitch too high for the human ear to recognize, has many applications including creating images of fetuses in the womb. But Elisa Konofagou, a professor at Columbia University, may be on the brink of uncovering a new use for ultrasound - the ability to temporarily open up the natural barrier that separates blood vessels from brain tissue in mice. If the technique works in humans, doctors could use ultrasound to deliver intravenous drugs directly into the brain cells of patients suffering from diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.
Despite the development of drugs proven to sustain neurons killed by Alzheimer's, there is still no cure for the disease. The reason for this is a wall-like mass of protein netting, commonly called the blood-brain barrier, which exists to protect brain cells from blood-surfing pathogens. Some researchers have made attempts to slow the disease by injecting drugs directly into the affected area of the brain, but that procedure is risky, costly, and fails nine out of 10 times, says Konofagou.
Her research opens up new possibilities for treatment using a two-step process. Microscopic bubbles would be injected into the blood vessels of patients through an IV line, and then travel into the brain capillaries. Then an ultrasonic beam would be positioned above the hippocampus - which controls memory and is typically affected by early Alzheimer's - causing the bubbles to oscillate against the blood-brain barrier, temporarily opening it up for drug delivery.
