Project Overview

Glioblastoma is one of the most aggressive brain cancers, with very few treatment options and a poor survival rate. Current treatments, like surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation, often don’t work well because the cancer is highly resistant and hard to target. On top of that, the brain has a natural protective barrier that makes it difficult for medicines to reach the tumor. New and better treatments are urgently needed.

This project introduces a new way to treat brain tumors using tiny bubbles called acoustic microbubble microrobots (AMMs). These bubbles are small enough to move through the brain and can be guided to the tumor using magnets. Once they reach the tumor, ultrasound waves make the bubbles vibrate, creating tiny mechanical forces that physically break apart the cancer cells. Unlike chemotherapy or radiation, which can damage healthy brain tissue, this method directly targets the tumor while reducing harmful side effects.

Our research will focus on designing and testing these microrobots in the lab and in preclinical models of brain cancer. We will ensure that they can travel safely to the tumor, create enough force to destroy cancer cells, and be removed from the brain after treatment. If successful, this technology could become a completely new way to treat glioblastoma without surgery or toxic drugs.

In the future, this approach could be adapted for other brain diseases, offering a safer and more targeted treatment option. Our goal is to develop a breakthrough therapy that improves survival and quality of life for brain cancer patients.

Principal Investigator

Xian Wang , Queen’s University at Kingston