US scientists have developed a new method of treating cancer with ultrasound

Scientists from the University of Southern California (USC) have developed an innovative method of gene therapy for cancer. It allows the treatment to be remotely activated in a specific area of the body using ultrasound. The team has perfected the CRISPR technology, which can now be controlled remotely. CRISPR is a powerful genetic editing tool that uses the Cas9 enzyme to precisely alter target genes.
In a new study, scientists have demonstrated how ultrasound can be used to activate CRISPR exactly where it is needed. The experiment was conducted on mice with tumors under the skin. As a result, 100% of the animals receiving the combined CRISPR/CAR T-cell therapy were completely cancer-free.
To fight cancer, the team tuned CRISPR to target telomeres - repetitive DNA sequences at the ends of chromosomes. This not only causes the cancer cells to die, but also triggers an immune response, attracting other cells to destroy the tumors. In addition, the researchers used specialized CAR T cells - immune cells that are taken from a patient and tuned to attack specific targets. In this case, the target was the CD19 protein, which is actively expressed in some types of cancer. The team used CRISPR to increase the production of CD19.
The method is unique in that the cells produce the enzyme Cas9 in response to the heat generated by ultrasound. The researchers emphasize that this treatment is still in the early stages of development, and there is no guarantee that similar results will be achieved in humans. In the future, the team plans to focus on improving the technique and expanding the application of the method beyond CAR T-cell therapy