Abstract #3725

Blood-Brain Barrier Disruption in Nonhuman Primates using a Clinical MRI-Guided Focused Ultrasound System: Preliminary Results

Nathan McDannold¹, Costas D. Arvanitis¹, Natalia Vykhodtseva¹, Margaret S. Livingstone²

¹Radiology, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States; ²Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States

Preliminary findings from a safety study in non-human primates of targeted blood-brain barrier disruption (BBBD) are presented. BBBD was produced via burst sonications produced by a clinical MR-guided focused ultrasound system combined with a circulating microbubble agent. We found that it was possible to produce localized volumes of BBBD in gray matter without MRI-evident brain tissue damage or effects in the ultrasound beam path. MR contrast enhancement was not detected in white matter targets, perhaps due to its relative paucity of blood vessels. While more work is needed, these preliminary results are encouraging for moving this technology to patients.