May 27, 2025

Ep30: The Power of Histotripsy: Revolutionizing Cancer Care with Eli Vlaisavljevich, PhD

24 minutes

In this episode of Curing with Sound, we speak with Eli Vlaisavljevich, PhD, an Associate Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Virginia Tech and a renowned innovator in histotripsy, the first completely noninvasive and nonthermal ablation method for treating cancer.

The conversation explores histotripsy's expanding applications across multiple conditions, from its FDA-approved use in liver tumors to promising research in pancreatic cancer, breast cancer, sarcomas, and more. Dr. Vlaisavljevich also discusses the innovative work his lab is conducting in veterinary medicine, treating dogs, cats, and horses with naturally occurring tumors, which in turn accelerates the development of human applications.

Discussion highlights:

Revolutionary Technology: Dr. Vlaisavljevich explains how histotripsy uses focused ultrasound pulses to generate cavitation bubbles that mechanically break down targeted tissue while preserving critical structures like blood vessels and nerves - a capability that sets it apart from traditional ablation methods.

Interdisciplinary Innovation: Discover the collaborative nature of focused ultrasound research, bringing together engineers, clinicians, and immunologists to develop customized devices for different clinical scenarios.

Next-Generation Approaches: Explore cutting-edge developments including nanoparticle-mediated histotripsy that can target specific cancer cells and combination therapies that enhance immune responses against metastatic disease.

EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

----------------------------

QUESTIONS?

Email [email protected] if you have a question or comment about the show, or if you would you like to connect about future guest appearances.

Email [email protected] if you have questions about focused ultrasound or the Foundation.

FUSF SOCIAL MEDIA

Facebook

Instagram

TikTok

YouTube

FUSF WEBSITE

https://www.fusfoundation.org