Low-Frequency Focused Ultrasound

What is low-frequency focused ultrasound therapy?

Nicklaus Children’s is studying the role of a new technology called low-frequency focused ultrasound in the treatment of children with diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG), a lethal tumor that occurs in the brainstem. The hospital is one of three sites in North America offering this investigational treatment.

What happens during the procedure?

Low-frequency focused ultrasound treatment is provided in a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) suite. The patient has a frame device placed on their head that resembles a helmet that helps deliver ultrasound waves through the brain. Chemotherapy is then concurrently administered via intravenous injection. Researchers are hopeful that the addition of low-frequency focused ultrasound will help the chemotherapy agents to better reach the tumor by disrupting the blood-brain barrier that typically protects the brain from some agents within the bloodstream. This study is performed in three cycles spaced out every four to six weeks.

Who is a candidate for low-frequency focused ultrasound?

The study is open to children ages 5 to 21 years old diagnosed with diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma.To learn more contact DIPG.ClinicalTrial@nicklaushealth.org.

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Reviewed by: Toba Niazi, MD

This page was last updated on: September 16, 2025 12:53 PM