Sonodynamic therapy (SDT)
Innovative non-invasive treatment for tumor patients
Sonodynamic therapy (SDT) is a novel non-invasive treatment for cancer that combines ultrasound and sonosensitizers.
This therapy, originally researched by the team of researchers led by the Japanese scientist Yumita, has its origins in photodynamic therapy (PDT). However, compared to PDT, SDT can penetrate deep into tissues and affect them. At the same time, ultrasound therapy can precisely target tumor tissue by controlling the frequency, time and intensity of irradiation to kill cancer cells and minimize damage to surrounding healthy tissue.
SDT activates sonosensitizers through ultrasound, releasing energy and generating reactive oxygen species to kill tumor cells.
Compared to traditional photodynamic therapy, SDT is an even more promising anti-cancer therapy with the advantages of better targeting, deeper tissue penetration and higher focusing ability. In recent years, researchers have discovered that tumor cells can induce immunogenic cell death (ICD) during SDT and release tumor-associated antigens that trigger an anti-tumor immune response.
Great potential for tumor treatment
Combining SDT with other cancer treatments has shown great potential as a new tumor treatment strategy.
The ultrasound used in SDT activates the sonosensitizer in the cell through the action of "sonoluminescence" and "acoustic heating" and undergoes a series of reactions with surrounding oxygen molecules to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS), mainly singlet oxygen species.
Reactive oxygen species combat tumor cells by apoptosis induction and synergistically by the physical-mechanical effects of ultrasound. SDT can damage the mitochondria of these cells and cause activation of cysteine aspartatase, resulting in a decrease in mitochondrial membrane. When tumor cells die, they release tumor-associated antigens (TAAs) to induce immunogenic cell death (ICD) to trigger an immune response that allows SDT to exert subsequent anti-tumor immunological responses.
Combined treatment methods show a strong impact
Due to the complex growth mechanism of tumors, it is still difficult to achieve the desired therapeutic effect with a single treatment method. The combination of SDT with other cancer treatments shows excellent potential here. For example, SDT in combination with photodynamic therapy (PDT), hyperthermia, immunotherapy can achieve significant synergistic therapeutic effects.