00:00Researchers are using sound waves to sneak cancer-fighting molecules into the brain.
00:04The target is glioblastoma, the most common malignant brain tumor in adults.
00:09It claims more than 13,000 lives in the U.S. each year.
00:12One big obstacle is the blood-brain barrier, which blocks many drugs.
00:17That makes these tumors especially hard to treat.
00:20A team at the University of Virginia found a way around it.
00:23They use focused ultrasound, guided by MRI, along with tiny micro-bubbles.
00:28Together, they briefly open the barrier.
00:31That lets nanoparticles carrying micro-RNAs slip into the brain.
00:34Micro-RNAs are tiny genetic molecules that can switch off several cancer-driving genes at once.
00:40In lab and animal tests, the treatment slowed tumor growth.
00:44The treated animals also lived longer.
00:46It's still experimental and hasn't been tested in people.
00:49The team hopes to move toward clinical trials.
00:52Disclosure.
00:53This video contains stock footage and content created or enhanced using AI-assisted tools.
00:58We're looking at including a previews that have been tested in each piece of today.
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