The blood-brain barrier (BBB), while essential for protecting the brain from toxins, has long been one of the greatest obstacles in treating brain diseases, particularly aggressive cancers like glioblastoma. Most chemotherapy drugs simply cannot reach the brain in effective concentrations, leaving patients with limited treatment options and poor outcomes.

In this episode of Curing with Sound, we speak with Graeme Woodworth, MD, Chair of the Department of Neurosurgery at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, whose work is transforming the landscape of brain tumor treatment through the use of focused ultrasound–mediated BBB opening. Dr. Woodworth discusses the role of microbubbles, his efforts to develop a real-time monitoring and dosing strategy for BBB opening, and the exciting results from his multicenter glioblastoma clinical trial.

Discussion highlights:

• Glioblastoma Clinical Trial: Results published in Lancet Oncology report, for the first time, a possible survival benefit among newly diagnosed glioblastoma (GBM) patients treated with focused ultrasound + temozolomide (or TMZ, a chemotherapy drug). Researchers used focused ultrasound to noninvasively open the BBB in GBM patients before administering TMZ. When compared with a matched control group, a 40% increase in overall survival was observed.
• Published Findings for Measuring and Predicting BBB Opening: Researchers established a real-time, ultrasound-based “dose” measurement—using acoustic emissions from microbubble oscillations—to accurately predict when focused ultrasound will open the blood-brain barrier in glioblastoma patients. They discovered a non-linear dose–response range where blood-brain barrier opening is maximized, enabling safer, more precise, and more effective treatment monitoring.

EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

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Adenomyosis is a condition in which the uterine lining grows into the muscular wall of the uterus, often causing heavy menstrual bleeding, severe cramping, and chronic pelvic pain. It is estimated to affect 25–60% of women worldwide. Despite its prevalence, treatment options in North America remain extremely limited. Many patients are forced to choose between long-term opioid pain management or a hysterectomy, options that can significantly impact quality of life. In this episode of Curing with Sound, we speak with Dr. Vanda Corbett, a healthcare practitioner who endured decades of debilitating adenomyosis-related pain before discovering focused ultrasound. She first learned about this noninvasive treatment after listening to an episode of the Not Your Mother’s Menopause podcast featuring Suzanne LeBlang, MD, the Foundation’s Director of Clinical Relationships.

Determined to find an alternative to surgery or opioids, Dr. Corbett made the life-changing decision to travel from Dubai to Chongqing Haifu Hospital in China for a focused ultrasound procedure. Her transformative experience has motivated her to share her story, so more women can learn about this revolutionary noninvasive treatment option.

Discussion highlights:

• Medical Travel Experience: Follow Dr. Corbett's journey from Dubai to Chongqing, including the preparation process, travel logistics, and the patient-centered care she received at a specialized focused ultrasound hospital.
• Immediate Treatment Results and Advocacy Mission: Discover how Dr. Corbett experienced complete pain relief within hours of her procedure, shifting from decades of debilitating symptoms to a return to normal daily life. Learn about her mission to raise awareness of adenomyosis and the potential of focused ultrasound through storytelling and social media.

Watch Dr. Corbett's documentary videos tracking her journey with Adenomyosis and her focused ultrasound treatment. Listen to Dr. Corbett's podcast interview on Dr. Lovely’s Not Your Mother’s Menopause podcast, where she discusses treating Adenomyosis with focused ultrasound. Listen to Dr. Susie LeBlang's podcast interview on Dr. Lovely’s Not Your Mother’s Menopause podcast, where she discusses treating uterine fibroids with focused ultrasound. EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

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In this episode of Curing with Sound, we explore how focused ultrasound is revolutionizing the field of veterinary medicine. Joanne Tuohy, DVM, PhD, Associate Professor of Surgical Oncology at Virginia Tech’s Animal Cancer Care and Research Center, investigates how histotripsy—a non-thermal focused ultrasound technology—could improve cancer outcomes for veterinary patients while advancing treatments that may benefit both animals and humans. She discusses her clinical trial on osteosarcoma, an aggressive bone cancer that affects dogs and humans in remarkably similar ways. We also talk with Tasha Hoover, whose two Dobermans participated in Dr. Tuohy’s groundbreaking clinical trials. Both dogs were diagnosed with osteosarcoma at different stages of the research, allowing Tasha to witness firsthand how early trial results shaped the development of treatment protocols. Her story demonstrates the hope that innovative treatments can offer to pet owners and humans facing devastating diagnoses.

Discussion highlights:

• Noninvasive Oncology Innovation: Unlike traditional ablation technologies that use heat, histotripsy employs mechanical stress and pressure to destroy cancer cells, offering a potentially less invasive alternative to amputation while stimulating the immune system to fight remaining cancer cells.
• One Health Initiative: Dr. Tuohy's histotripsy research for veterinary osteosarcoma could have translational applications for human bone cancer patients, demonstrating how animals and humans can benefit from shared treatment advances under the One Health approach.

EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

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In this episode of Curing with Sound, we explore a groundbreaking approach to one of medicine’s toughest cancers, glioblastoma (GBM), with Michael Canney, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer at Carthera. GBM is the most aggressive form of brain cancer, notoriously hard to treat because the blood-brain barrier (BBB) blocks many life-saving drugs from reaching tumor cells. With survival rates of just one to two years, new approaches are urgently needed.

Dr. Canney shares how Carthera’s SonoCloud-9, an implantable, therapeutic ultrasound device, temporarily opens the BBB and enhances the delivery of circulating drugs to the brain. He also discusses the SONOBIRD clinical trial, comparing the use of Carthera’s SonoCloud-9 device combined with chemotherapy to standard-of-care therapies in patients with recurrent GBM. Discussion highlights:

• Phase III SONOBIRD Trial: The largest clinical trial in Carthera's history, enrolling 560 patients across the United States and Europe. The trial’s goal is to demonstrate a survival advantage for patients with recurrent GBM when BBB opening is combined with the delivery of carboplatin chemotherapy, as compared with standard of care.
• Revolutionizing Drug Delivery: How SonoCloud-9 opens the BBB to increase carboplatin concentrations five- to seven-fold, potentially unlocking the full potential of existing cancer drugs that previously couldn’t reach brain tumors.

EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

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In this episode of Curing with Sound, we sit down with Gary Shapiro, CEO and Vice Chair of the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), and a valued member of the Focused Ultrasound Foundation Board of Directors. With decades of experience advocating for disruptive innovation, Gary offers a unique perspective on how focused ultrasound fits within the global ecosystem of transformative healthcare technologies. His perspective provides a compelling look at how focused ultrasound aligns with broader trends in global healthcare innovation.

Throughout the conversation, Gary shares his personal journey, from his work in technology policy and innovation leadership to his role on the Foundation’s board, where he continues to advocate for the rapid expansion and adoption of focused ultrasound worldwide. His insights reflect both the urgency and the opportunity of bringing transformative technologies into mainstream healthcare.

Discussion highlights:

• Prolific Author and Commentator: Gary has written more than 1,200 articles and four books, including his most recent, Pivot or Die, which explores the necessity of adaptation, innovation, and strategic change for business and technology leaders.
• Global Platform for Medical Innovation: CTA represents more than 1,300 U.S. technology companies and produces CES, the world’s largest and most influential annual technology event. Gary explains how CES provides a stage for breakthrough innovations, creating visibility for emerging solutions like focused ultrasound and connecting them to global networks of industry leaders, investors, and innovators.
• Technology as a Fundamental Human Right: Gary expands on his belief that access to technology is as essential as access to clean air, water, food, and healthcare. Building on his work with the United Nations, he underscores a vision for focused ultrasound as a universally accessible tool, one that has the potential to improve outcomes and reduce suffering for patients across the globe.

EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

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In this episode of Curing with Sound, we meet Melissa McGinnis, an essential tremor patient whose life was transformed through focused ultrasound treatment. Melissa endured decades of progressive tremors that impacted every aspect of daily life since her diagnosis as a child–a rare occurrence for those with the condition.

After learning about focused ultrasound during its clinical trials in 2012 and waiting over a decade for the treatment to become available, Melissa finally received the treatment in January 2025. The results were immediate and dramatic, providing her with greater independence and the ability to complete everyday tasks that were once a challenge.

Discussion highlights:

• Immediate Life-Changing Results: Experience Melissa's emotional journey as she describes the moment she stopped shaking after focused ultrasound treatment, calling it a "complete miracle" and sharing how simple tasks like cooking became jaw-dropping accomplishments..

• Decades of Social Stigma and Resilience: Hear about how Melissa channelled the social stigma and uncomfortable questions about her condition into stand-up comedy routines that allowed her to educate others about essential tremor.

Follow Melissa's journey on her YouTube channel: @MMCshakesalot

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In this episode of Curing with Sound, we speak with Patrick Hope, Executive Director of AdvaMed's Medical Imaging Division, about the critical but often unseen world of medical technology policy and advocacy that makes innovative treatments like focused ultrasound accessible to patients. Patrick shares how AdvaMed, an advocacy organization for the med tech industry, collaborates on initiatives to increase awareness among policymakers, improve reimbursement, and champion legislation that accelerates patient access to lifesaving innovations. Discussion highlights:

• Breakthrough Policy Initiative: Hear about upcoming legislation that could transform how focused ultrasound and other technologies reach patients by eliminating the lengthy CMS reimbursement process, and providing 4-5 years of Medicare coverage for breakthrough medical devices immediately after FDA approval.
• Patient-Centered Advocacy Strategy: Learn about AdvaMed's unique "Right Scan, Right Time" campaign, which has over 30,000 patient advocates, and its powerful Capitol Hill fly-in events, where patients, providers, and companies work together to share compelling stories with lawmakers. These include dramatic before-and-after videos that show the life-changing impact of treatments like focused ultrasound for essential tremor.

EPISODE TRANSCRIPT ---------------------------- QUESTIONS? Email podcast@fusfoundation.org if you have a question or comment about the show, or if you would you like to connect about future guest appearances.

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In this episode of Curing with Sound, we explore how focused ultrasound is being studied as a treatment for depression and anxiety, told through the perspectives of both a leading researcher and a veteran who experienced it firsthand. Noah Philip, MD, is a professor of psychiatry and human behavior at Brown University's Alpert Medical School and a leading expert on focused ultrasound neuromodulation for psychiatric conditions. He discusses his research using low-intensity focused ultrasound to modulate the amygdala for the treatment of depression and anxiety in veterans.

Joining him is Nick Marinelli, an Iraq War veteran and Black Hawk mechanic who participated in Dr. Philip’s revolutionary clinical trial after struggling with depression and anxiety for over a decade following his deployment. Nick shares his experience receiving focused ultrasound treatments and the immediate improvements he noticed in his daily mood and his ability to be present with his family, particularly during meaningful moments like his daughter's kindergarten graduation.

Discussion highlights:

• Revolutionary Mental Health Technology: Discover how focused ultrasound neuromodulation offers millimeter-scale precision to target deep brain structures like the amygdala. This noninvasive alternative to traditional psychiatric treatments has the potential to transform mental healthcare for treatment-resistant conditions.
• From Research to Real-World Impact: Hear about Dr. Philip's advocacy efforts, including his 2024 congressional briefing to expand access to focused ultrasound treatments, and the upcoming four-year VA-funded trial aimed at optimizing dosing strategies for clinical implementation across underserved communities.

All patient stories featured on the Curing with Sound podcast are personal accounts of an individual’s experience with focused ultrasound treatment. Please be aware that each patient’s situation is unique, and outcomes may vary. The information provided in this story should not be considered as medical advice or a guarantee of specific results. It is important to consult with a qualified healthcare provider to discuss your condition and determine the best treatment options for you. The Focused Ultrasound Foundation does not endorse any specific treatment or medical procedure and encourages all patients to seek professional medical guidance tailored to their individual needs.

EPISODE TRANSCRIPT ---------------------------- QUESTIONS? Email podcast@fusfoundation.org if you have a question or comment about the show, or if you would you like to connect about future guest appearances.

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