The role of focused ultrasound for pediatric brain tumors: current insights and future implications on treatment strategies. 

 -  2024 
<br/><br/> CONCLUSION: Discussions regarding future applications of FUS for the treatment of gliomas include improved drug delivery, immunomodulation, radiosensitization, and other technological advancements. Copyright © 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.  INTRODUCTION: Focused ultrasound (FUS) is an innovative and emerging technology for the treatment of adult and pediatric brain tumors and illustrates the intersection of various specialized fields, including neurosurgery, neuro-oncology, radiation oncology, and biomedical engineering.  METHODS: The fundamental principles of FUS include its ability to induce thermal ablation or enhance drug delivery through transient blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption, emphasizing the adaptability of high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) and low-intensity focused ultrasound (LIFU) applications.  OBJECTIVE: The authors provide a comprehensive overview of the application and implications of FUS in treating pediatric brain tumors, with a special focus on pediatric low-grade gliomas (pLGGs) and the evolving landscape of this technology and its clinical utility.  RESULTS: Several ongoing clinical trials explore the potential of FUS in offering alternative therapeutic strategies for pathologies where conventional treatments fall short, specifically centrally-located benign CNS tumors and diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG). A case illustration involving the use of HIFU for pilocytic astrocytoma is presented. 
<br/><br/><br/>English 
<br/><br/><label>ISSN: </label>0256-7040 
<br/><br/><label>Standard No.: </label>10.1007/s00381-024-06413-9 [pii] 
<br/><br/><label>Subjects--Topical Terms: </label><br/>IN PROCESS -- NOT YET INDEXED--Automated
<br/><br/><label>Index Terms--Occupation: </label><br/>MedStar Georgetown University Hospital/MedStar Washington Hospital Center<br/>Neurosurgery Residency
<br/><br/><label>Index Terms--Function: </label><br/>Journal Article