Therapeutic Ultrasound
Focused ultrasound-mediated stem-cell delivery for dementia therapy
Overview
Our therapeutic ultrasound research develops focused ultrasound (FUS) platforms for non-invasive brain targeting and blood-brain barrier (BBB) opening. By combining ultrasound sonication with circulating microbubbles, the BBB can be opened locally and temporarily, creating a route for stem-cell delivery to targeted brain regions for dementia therapy.
A current focus is an optical tracking-guided FUS system for large-animal experiments. The system integrates an optical camera, stereotactic frame, in-house navigation software, FUS transducer, syringe pump, and microbubble injection workflow to visualize the focal point and guide transcranial sonication with improved spatial confidence.
Using porcine models that better approximate human brain anatomy than small-animal models, we are building a translational workflow from treatment planning and fiducial registration to MRI- and fluorescence-based confirmation of stem-cell delivery. This work supports future therapeutic strategies for dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease.
Beyond stem cells, the same FUS-mediated BBB opening platform can ferry neuroprotective drugs into the brain. In a recent proof-of-concept study from our group, FUS-mediated BBB opening enhanced delivery of Rg3 ginseng nanoparticles in a Parkinson’s disease mouse model, increasing nanoparticle accumulation in the brain and supporting mitochondrial function alongside improvements in motor performance (Imtiaz, Kim & Paeng, International Journal of Pharmaceutics: X, 2026).
Research Fields
- Focused ultrasound-mediated BBB opening for targeted brain delivery
- Optical tracking-guided navigation and transcranial FUS targeting
- Large-animal models for translational therapeutic ultrasound research
- FUS-assisted stem-cell delivery strategies for dementia therapy
- FUS-mediated nanoparticle delivery of neuroprotective agents in Parkinson’s disease models