How the University of Michigan Uses Sound to Cure Cancer
Researchers at the University of Michigan have pioneered a ground breaking non-invasive cancer treatment called histotripsy, which uses focused ultrasound waves to mechanically obliterate liver tumors without surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy.
This technique has recently received FDA approval for clinical use in humans, marking a significant advancement in cancer therapy. [1. 2]
What Is Histotripsy?
Histotripsy employs high-intensity, focused ultrasound pulses to create microbubbles within tumor tissue. As these bubbles rapidly expand and collapse—a process known as cavitation—they generate mechanical forces that disintegrate cancer cells with millimeter precision. Unlike thermal ablation or radiation, histotripsy is non-ionizing and non-thermal, minimizing damage to surrounding healthy tissue and preserving critical structures such as blood vessels and bile ducts . [3, 4 , 5]
Clinical Trial Success
The #HOPE4LIVER clinical trial, initiated in 2021, evaluated histotripsy’s safety and efficacy in treating primary and metastatic liver tumors. Conducted across the U.S. and Europe, the trial treated 44 patients with 49 tumors. Results showed a 95% technical success rate, with only three major complications reported—two of which were likely related to the underlying cancer rather than the procedure itself . [6]
These outcomes led to FDA approval in late 2023, allowing HistoSonics, a company co-founded by U-M researchers, to market its Edison histotripsy platform to healthcare providers . [7]
Potential Beyond Liver Cancer
Preclinical studies in rodents have demonstrated that histotripsy not only destroys tumor tissue but also stimulates the immune system. In one study, destroying 50–75% of a liver tumor led to complete regression in over 80% of animals, with no recurrence or metastasis observed . This immunostimulatory effect suggests potential for histotripsy to be combined with immunotherapies, enhancing systemic cancer treatment.
Building on these findings, new clinical trials are underway to assess histotripsy’s effectiveness in treating other cancers, including kidney, pancreatic, and prostate tumors .news.engin.umich.edu
A Breakthrough in Non-invasive Cancer Therapy
Histotripsy represents a significant leap forward in cancer treatment, offering a noninvasive, precise, and tissue-sparing alternative to traditional therapies. Its ability to preserve healthy tissue while effectively destroying tumors positions it as a promising option for patients with liver cancer and potentially other tumor types [8] .
For more information on histotripsy and ongoing clinical trials, you can visit the University of Michigan’s Rogel Cancer Center or the Histotripsy Lab. [9]
References:
[1] https://record.umich.edu/articles/fda-approves-histotripsy-for-liver-treatment-in-humans/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
[2] https://www.michiganmedicine.org/health-lab/tumor-destroying-soundwaves-receive-fda-approval-liver-treatment-humans?utm_source=chatgpt.com
[3] https://news.umich.edu/tumor-destroying-sound-waves-receive-fda-approval-for-liver-treatment-in-humans/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
[4] https://news.umich.edu/tumors-partially-destroyed-with-sound-dont-come-back/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
[5] https://www.michigandaily.com/news/umich-startups-soundwave-tech-for-liver-tumor-treatment-receives-fda-approval/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
[6] https://medschool.umich.edu/health-lab/histotripsy-liver-tumor-trial-successful-early-clinical-adoption-recommended?utm_source=chatgpt.com
[7] https://www.rogelcancercenter.org/news/archive/tumor-destroying-soundwaves-receive-fda-approval-liver-treatment-humans?utm_source=chatgpt.com
[8] https://news.engin.umich.edu/2024/12/histotripsy-tumor-treatment-moves-from-trials-to-triumphs-in-2024/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
[9] https://histotripsy.umich.edu/
Please Donate Below To Support Our Ongoing Work To Defend The Scientific Method
PRINCIPIA SCIENTIFIC INTERNATIONAL, legally registered in the UK as a company incorporated for charitable purposes. Head Office: 27 Old Gloucester Street, London WC1N 3AX.
Trackback from your site.
DouweH
| #
I wonder how long it will take big pharma to buy in and it disappears?
Reply
Tom
| #
According to the HistoSonics web site…”The FDA has not evaluated the Edison System for the treatment of any disease including, but not limited to, cancer or evaluated any specific cancer outcomes (such as local tumor progression, 5-year survival or overall survival).” Apparently this treatment is only for liver cancers. The company has been around since 2009 and is a private company. But anything that replaces radiation and chemo is a positive.
Reply
Aaron
| #
old world tech finally being released to us peasants
Reply
Moffin
| #
Royale Raymond Rife.
Royal Raymond Rife, a scientist, started working in San Diego in 1915 and from 1920 invented a totally new kind of microscope. Such was the magnification he claimed, that it would be 10 times more powerful than even today’s best microscopes. It was an amazing advance as also, unlike existing electron microscopes, Rife’s microscope could view living bacteria and viruses.
Reply
Moffin
| #
Rife went on to treat cancers with specific sound frequencies.
The note in my first comment I copied and pasted and something appears to be lost or inaccurate in the article I sourced.
Reply
Jerry Krause
| #
Hi PSI Editor {using ChatGPT}, Moffin, and PSI Readers,
I do not know which PSI editor wrote this article but I know which PSI editor wrote “I Asked ChatGPT To Come Clean On The Limits Of AI: Here Is Their Reply
Published on June 3, 2025. Written by John O’Sullivan, CEO, Principia Sciientific International” And I understand that NO HUMAN wrote this article used ChatGPT which was written by SI. Hence, the reason that Moffin read no reference to Royale Raymond Rife. This article is PROOF what SI does.
Have a good day
Reply