Researchers develop method to liquefy tumors using sound waves, safely treating cancer without chemo or radiation
by David Gutierrez, Natural News:
A new ultrasound technique is being developed that may allow cancerous tumors to be liquefied without the use of chemotherapy or electromagnetic radiation. Astonishingly, recent research into this technique conducted by scientists from the University of Washington suggests that it may also eventually allow full regeneration of damaged tissue or organs.
The findings were presented at the 168th meeting of the Acoustical Society of America (ASA) in Indianapolis in October.
The technique in question, known as histotripsy, uses ultrasound to mechanically destroy cancerous or other targeted tissues. This is a departure from traditional ultrasound therapy, which destroys tissues using heat.
Tumor-destroying technique uses currently available technology
In histotripsy, ultrasound-induced vibration leads to the production of bubbles formed from dissolved gases. If the vibration continues at high enough intensities, the bubbles eventually collapse, release a shock wave that can completely liquefy cells. A series of these collapses (known as inertial cavitation) can destroy a vast section of tissue, such as a tumor. Scientists can accelerate the process by injecting microbubbles into the tissue before the procedure.
Studies have shown that histotripsy can totally liquefy tumors, and can do so with remarkable precision and minimal impact on healthy surrounding tissue.
To date, three forms of histotripsy have been developed. The original method, shock scattering histotripsy, uses high intensity pulses ranging in length from 2 to 20 microseconds. More recently, researchers have developed an even more high intensity form, intrinsic threshold histotripsy, which uses pulses only 0.1 to 2 microseconds long.
