Grant: Master's Award: Canada Graduate Scholarships

Focused Ultrasound Modulation of the Tumor MicroenvironmentFocused ultrasound, combined with tiny bubbles called contrast agent microbubbles, is a new and promising non-invasive technique currently being tested in clinical trials. This approach aims to deliver treatments like medications or gene therapies more precisely, with potential applications in areas such as heart disease and brain cancer.Solid tumors are surrounded by a complex network of proteins, molecules, and other factors. Collectively, this is known as the extracellular matrix (ECM) and it happens to be one of the main components of a tumor environment. The integrity and composition of the ECM are crucial for the effectiveness of personalized cancer treatments, as they affect both the physical and biological responses to therapy.Our hypothesis is that using focused ultrasound alongside microbubbles can help break down the ECM, thereby enhancing the delivery of treatments within the tumor environment. Ultimately, we aim to develop an ultrasound treatment that alters the stiffness and makeup of the ECM to improve drug delivery to specific sites.We anticipate that our studies will provide a foundation for a new non-invasive strategy to alter the properties of the ECM, a key constituent to a tumor surroundings. The next phase of this project would focus on creating a more robust 3D model of a tumor environment that includes cancer and healthy cells alike to help simulate a real-world scenario for effective drug delivery.