Therapeutic ultrasound for neurology (TURN)
Blood-Brain Barrier, Drug delivery, Neuro-Oncology, Neurology, Therapeutic Ultrasound
Research aim
Therapeutic ultrasound is a promising and actively expanding therapeutic modality for diverse neurological and neuro-oncological diseases, aiming to address the urgent need for effective drug delivery and minimally invasive neuro modulation.
About us
Neuro-oncology as well as neurology pose formidable challenges to modern healthcare, since many brain disorders, including brain tumors and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s or Parkinsons’s disease, are even today lacking effective curative therapies.
Therapeutic ultrasound allows to exploit a broad range of different biomechanical interactions with tissue, unlocking therapeutic possibilities ranging from temporary opening of the blood brain barrier, over thermal ablation for high-precision neural blockades or tumor ablation, to controlled tissue emulsification for immune modulation.
The TURN group of the UMCU works in close collaboration with the Princess Máxima Center and is focused on bridging the gap between cutting-edge preclinical research methods and clinical applications for treating neurological conditions like tumors, neurodegenerative diseases, and mental disorders.
TURN serves as a connection point for this translation process, providing clinical expertise and support to clinical stakeholders and disease focused research groups. TURN is a founding member of the Dutch Neuro FUS consortium (DNFC) aiming to facilitate and to conduct clinical and preclinical FUS-BBBO studies in the Netherlands.