Research summary
Biomedical ultrasound is rapidly expanding beyond its traditional role as an imaging tool to play a larger role in delivering targeted and local therapies. As Canada Research Chair in Molecular Biophysics in Human Health, Dr. Brandon Helfield is trying to develop a dual imaging and therapeutic ultrasound platform that could potentially be used to treat cardiovascular disease and cancer.
He and his research team are using microbubble-assisted, focused ultrasound to treat left ventricle hypertrophy, a disease characterized by thickening of the heart muscle and increased risk of heart failure. They are optimizing gene delivery techniques using widely available clinical ultrasound systems in rodent hearts and establishing a treatment protocol for ultrasound image-guided therapy in a rodent model. Because the techniques they are developing extend to other applications in cardiovascular disease—including ischemia, vascular stenosis and fibrosis—their research could help treat a range of heart problems.