Therapeutic Ultrasound Group

Professor Gail ter Haar’s group is undertaking research designed to improve our understanding of high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) for the treatment of cancers of the liver and kidney.

Our interests lie in harnessing the potential of high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) for therapeutic benefit, designing appropriate systems, doing pre-clinical research to understand these phenomena and to optimise potential therapies, and then translating them into the clinic.

Professor Gail Ter Haar

Group Leader:

Therapeutic Ultrasound Professor Gail ter Haar

Professor Gail ter Haar is investigating the use of high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) to rapidly heat and kill tumours of the liver or kidney. Gail is founding President of the International Society for Therapy Ultrasound (ISTU). In 2014 her group was recognised by being made a Centre of Excellence for HIFU physics and bone studies by the Focused Ultrasound Foundation.

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Researchers in this group

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Email: [email protected]

Location: Sutton

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Phone: +44 20 8722 4406

Email: [email protected]

Location: Sutton

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Email: [email protected]

Location: Sutton

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Email: [email protected]

Location: Sutton

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Email: [email protected]

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Professor Gail Ter Haar's group have written 50 publications

Most recent new publication 7/2008

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The main goal of our research is to develop high-intensity focused ultrasound surgery (HIFU) to the point at which it becomes a useful clinical tool for the treatment of appropriate soft-tissue tumours. To this end, we are working on the optimisation of the delivery of the ultrasound energy, on increasing understanding of the mechanisms by which tissue is destroyed, and is developing new methods of targeting tumours. The main mechanisms for target destruction are heating and acoustic cavitation (bubble formation and activity). We are developing a clinical prototype device with improved treatment delivery and monitoring capabilities.

We are also working with the Magnetic Resonance (MR) Group to develop MR imaging techniques for treatment guidance and monitoring. Focused ultrasound surgery techniques rely on raising the temperature of the target tissue volume to levels in excess of 56ºC and maintaining them for 1–2 s. This leads to instantaneous cell death and is known as thermal ablation. Methods for optimising the rate of tissue ablation are being sought. Blood flow within the target organ may be expected to produce localised cooling. We are studying this important topic both experimentally and theoretically.

Our work with isolated blood vessels is designed not only to inform the safe use of diagnostic ultrasound and contrast agents, but also to help understand the mechanisms by which ultrasound can enhance the delivery of chemotherapeutic agents.

The research in our group addresses many aspects of existing and novel applications of ultrasound in cancer therapy. Ultrasound is extremely versatile, allowing, as it does, imaging to provide diagnosis and treatment monitoring, enhancement of radio- and chemo-therapy effects by thermal and/or mechanical means, stimulation of immune responses, and tissue ablation using high temperatures (HIFU) or bubble driven mechanical disruption (histotripsy).

Our interests lie in harnessing this potential for therapeutic benefit, designing appropriate systems, doing pre-clinical research to understand these phenomena and to optimise potential therapies, and then translating them into the clinic.

The basic principle of HIFU is that a high power ultrasound beam is brought to a tight focus at a distance from its source and is used to heat tissue rapidly to temperatures which result in instantaneous cell death. Only cells within the focus are killed - overlying and surrounding tissue is unharmed. If the source is positioned outside the body, this provides a non-invasive treatment for tumours lying deep below the skin. This treatment is rapidly gaining widespread clinical acceptance, and we are at the forefront of its development.

Recent discoveries from this group

27/03/18

An ICR scientist working at a computer

Researchers have developed a virtual, computerised cell model that is being used to predict the success of treating cancer with an exciting new tumour-heating technology – which uses targeted sound waves to heat and destroy cancer.

The virtual cells will be used to test the effectiveness of high-intensity focused ultrasound, or HIFU, in combination with radiotherapy. Researchers at The Institute of Cancer Research, London, are testing the technology in preparation for human trials.

In the future, more fully-developed computerised tumour simulations might also predict whether or not a patient might benefit from treatment with a combination of radiotherapy and HIFU.

HIFU heat treatment

HIFU is a new type of treatment being pioneered at the ICR through research led by Professor Gail ter Haar, Team Leader in Therapeutic Ultrasound.

It is a non-invasive technique, and due to its ability to deliver precise targeted treatment it does not affect healthy tissue around tumours.

Heating cancer cells also increases their sensitivity to radiation, so combining HIFU with radiotherapy could be an effective way to treat cancer.

The Division of Radiotherapy and Imaging is investigating new imaging methods to diagnose cancer, and ways in which advances in technology and molecular biology can improve radiation treatment.

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Modelling cell response to combined treatments

In a new study published in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface, the research team from the ICR outline how their virtual cells can model the response of cells to heat therapy when used separately, or in combination with radiotherapy.

The researchers, funded by Cancer Research UK and the Focused Ultrasound Foundation, compared their model’s predictions with experimental data gathered from treating colorectal cancer cells with a radiotherapy-heat combination.

They found a good association between the predicted outcomes and the effects they saw in the cell lines.

The new model, which was developed in collaboration with the Joint Department of Physics at the ICR and our partner hospital The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, will play an important role in helping Professor ter Haar’s team to refine methods for measuring and calibrating this new technology.

More effective decisions around treatment

Professor Gail ter Haar said:

“Heating cancer cells using HIFU, which we’ve developed as a potential future treatment at the ICR, might boost the effects of radiotherapy in treatment for patients.

“This study shows that a new ‘virtual’ tumour that we developed can accurately mimic the response of cancer cells to heat treatment and radiotherapy, simulating how the two treatments work experimentally.

“The model is also an important step for studying future applications of treatments such as High Intensity Focused Ultrasound with radiotherapy, and could ultimately lead to more effective decisions around treatment options for patients.”