Clinical trial · Interventional
Sonodynamic Therapy With ExAblate System in Glioblastoma Patients
A Pilot Study to Evaluate the Safety and Feasibility of Sonodynamic Therapy Using the ExAblate MRI-Guided Focused Ultrasound in the Treatment of Cerebral Glioblastomas.
- Source
- ClinicalTrials.gov
- Retrieved
- Sep 8, 2026
- Layer
- normalized (units and labels harmonized; values unchanged)
- Run
- ING-CLINICALTRIALS-20260908-000001
Summary
Brief summary (as posted)
The goal of this prospective, non-randomized, single-arm study is to evaluate the safety and feasibility of sonodynamic therapy with 5-aminolevulinic acid in patients with newly diagnosed cerebral glioblastomas using the ExAblate Model 4000 Type-2 "Neuro-System". Patients will be consented, screened, and will undergo study SDT treatment with 5-ALA using the ExAblate Model 4000 Type-2 "Neuro-System". After SDT treatment, patients will perform a strict neuro-radiological follow-up (minimum of 2 MRI) and undergo tumor resection 15-21 days after SDT, according to the clinical and radiological status. The main goal of the present study is to investigate the safety and feasibility of SDT in patients affected by GBMs attained with low-frequency FUS. In particular: Safety will be evaluated by patient examination and MRI images during the treatment, and by follow-up MRI and clinical and neurological visits. To evaluate feasibility, the extent of the sonicated area will be calculated at the end of the procedure in order to evaluate the targeted area. Secondary objective of the trial is to assess the efficacy of the SDT procedure in terms of tumor regression and/or cell apoptosis and necrosis.
Conditions
Conditions (1)
Free-text conditions as registered, with the CancerIndex entity they were reconciled to and the match type.
| Condition (as posted) | Mapped entity | Match | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Glioblastoma Multiforme | Glioblastoma | CURATED_BROADER | 0.80 |
Interventions
Interventions (1)
| Intervention | Type | Mapped drug | Match |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5-Aminolevulinic Acid | Drug | 5-Aminolevulinic Acid | ALIAS |
Design
Arms and outcomes
Arms (1)
- type
- EXPERIMENTAL
- label
- 5-ALA mediated sonodynamic therapy
- interventionNames
- Drug: 5-Aminolevulinic Acid
Primary outcomes (1)
- measure
- Presence of hemorrhage, edema or other damages
- timeFrame
- 10 days after the procedure
- description
- MR images will be acquired before the procedure and will also be used to guide the FUS treatment; new MRI scans will be acquired at immediately after and at 24 hours, 5 days and 10 days after the procedure and will be analyzed to identify any focal alteration within the treatment's radius compatible with hemorrhages, necrosis, oedema, inflammation or other damages
Secondary outcomes (2)
- measure
- Rate of neurological deficits
- timeFrame
- 10 days after the procedure
Eligibility
Eligibility (as posted)
- Sex
- All
- Minimum age
- 18 Years
- Maximum age
- 70 Years
Show eligibility criteria text
Inclusion Criteria:
1. Men or women, age between 18 and 75 years, inclusive.
2. Suspected primary lobar Glioblastoma clearly measurable on the basis of Response Assessment in Neuro-Oncology (RANO) criteria
3. Newly diagnosed brain glioblastomas located in a surgically accessible brain region for resection
4. The targeted tumor resection volume measures between 1 cm and 6 cm in diameter.
5. Karnofsky rating 70-100.
6. ASA score 1-3.
7. Able to attend all study visits.
8. No previous brain surgery.
9. No previous radiation treatment.
10. No previous systemic treatment for the tumor.
11. Able and willing to give Informed Consent.
12. No contraindication to MRI.
13. No contraindication to brain surgery.
14. Contraceptive use by both male and female subjects consistent with local regulations regarding the methods of contraception for those participating in clinical studies.
* Male participants: Male participants must agree that, if their partner is at risk of becoming pregnant, they will use an effective method of contraception. The participants must agree to use the contraception during the whole period of the study and for 12 weeks after the study intervention injection.
* Female participants: A female participant is eligible to participate if she is not pregnant or breastfeeding, and one of the following conditions applies: (i) is a woman of nonchildbearing potential (WONCBP) as defined in Appendix C Contraception and Barrier Guidance OR (ii) is a WOCBP and using an acceptable contraceptive method as described in Appendix C: Contraceptive and Barrier Guidance during the study intervention period (at a minimum until after the last dose of study intervention).
Exclusion Criteria:
1. Brain glioblastoma presenting with the following characteristics:
* Brain edema and/or mass effect that causes midline shift of more than 15 mm
* Evidence of recent intracranial hemorrhage within the targeted tumor volume
* Calcifications in the focused ultrasound sonication path (system tools may not tailor the treatment around these calcifications)
2. The sonication pathway to the tumor involves either:
* more than 30% of the skull area traversed by scars, scalp disorders (e.g., eczema), or atrophy of the scalp
* Clips, shunts, or other metallic implanted objects in the skull or the brain
3. Cardiac disease or unstable hemodynamic status including:
* Documented myocardial infarction within six months of enrolment
* Unstable angina on medication
* Congestive heart failure
* Left ventricular ejection fraction \< 50%
* Right-to-left, bidirectional, or transient right-to-left cardiac shunts
* History of a hemodynamically unstable cardiac arrhythmia
* Cardiac pacemaker
4. Severe hypertension
5. Anti-coagulant therapy or medications known to increase risk of hemorrhage within washout period prior to treatment
6. History of a bleeding disorder, coagulopathy or with a history of spontaneous tumor hemorrhage
7. Abnormal level of platelets (\<100000) or INR \>1.3
8. Cerebral or systemic vasculopathy
9. Known allergy sensitivity or contraindications to gadolinium
10. Contraindications to MRI such as non-MRI-compatible implanted devices
11. Subjects not fitting comfortably into the MRI scanner
12. Difficulty lying supine and still for up to 4 hours in the MRI unit or claustrophobia
13. Positive pregnancy test (for pre-menopausal women) (see Appendix C)
14. Severely impaired renal function with estimated glomerular filtration rate \<30mL/min/1.73m2 and/or on dialysis
15. Respiratory: chronic pulmonary disorders (e.g., severe emphysema, COPD, pulmonary vasculitis, or other causes of reduced pulmonary vascular cross-sectional area).
16. Other contraindications to 5-ALA, including chronic or acute porfiria, and hypersensibility to 5-ALA or porfirins
17. Any illness or medical condition that in the investigator's opinion precludes participation in this study
18. Patients unable to sign an Informed ConsentReferences
Publications (4)
- RESULTBonosi L, Marino S, Benigno UE, Musso S, Buscemi F, Giardina K, Gerardi R, Brunasso L, Costanzo R, Iacopino DG, Maugeri R. Sonodynamic therapy and magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound: new therapeutic strategy in glioblastoma. J Neurooncol. 2023 May;163(1):219-238. doi: 10.1007/s11060-023-04333-3. Epub 2023 May 14. PMID 37179515
- RESULTPellegatta S, Corradino N, Zingarelli M, Porto E, Gionso M, Berlendis A, Durando G, Maffezzini M, Musio S, Aquino D, DiMeco F, Prada F. The Immunomodulatory Effects of Fluorescein-Mediated Sonodynamic Treatment Lead to Systemic and Intratumoral Depletion of Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells in a Preclinical Malignant Glioma Model. Cancers (Basel). 2024 Feb 15;16(4):792. doi: 10.3390/cancers16040792. PMID 38398183
- RESULTKeating GF, Chesney KM, Patel N, Kilburn L, Fonseca A, Packer RJ, Challa C, O'Brien PF, Donoho DA, Myseros JS, Oluigbo C, Keating RF, Syed HR. MR-guided focused ultrasound in pediatric neurosurgery: current insights, technical challenges, and lessons learned from 45 treatments at Children's National Hospital. Neurosurg Focus. 2024 Sep 1;57(3):E6. doi: 10.3171/2024.6.FOCUS24332. PMID 39217632
- RESULTHuangfu L, Zha B, Li P, Wang L, Liu X, Cui H, Li Y, Wu J, Shi S, Yang Y, Sun X, Gao S, Li H, Yang D, Zheng Y. A phase I clinical trial of sonodynamic therapy combined with radiotherapy for brainstem gliomas. Int J Cancer. 2025 Mar 1;156(5):1005-1014. doi: 10.1002/ijc.35218. Epub 2024 Oct 8. PMID 39377640