A New Frontier in Precision Oncology
Prostate cancer continues to be one of the most prevalent cancers in men worldwide, often presenting challenges in early detection and safe, effective treatment. Enter Visano’s breakthrough solution — a novel, drug-free therapy using targeted nanobubbles (NBs) to both diagnose and selectively eliminate prostate cancer cells with pinpoint accuracy.
What Are Nanobubbles and How Do They Work?
Nanobubbles are tiny, gas-filled vesicles engineered to target PSMA (Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen) — a protein abundantly present on prostate cancer cells but rare in healthy cells. Once injected into the bloodstream, these nanobubbles:
- Seek out and bind to cancer cells expressing PSMA
- Enter the cancer cells via receptor-mediated endocytosis
- Remain inert until activated by focused ultrasound pulses
This targeting ensures that nanobubbles only accumulate inside cancerous cells, leaving surrounding healthy tissue unaffected.
Imaging with Nanobubbles: Seeing What Was Once Invisible
Traditional imaging methods like MRI and ultrasound often struggle to detect early-stage prostate tumors due to poor contrast resolution. Nanobubbles, however, change the game:
- Their small size allows them to extravasate and reach tumor cells that larger contrast agents (like microbubbles) cannot.
- NB-enhanced imaging clearly delineates tumor “hotspots”.
- Studies show NB contrast imaging correlates strongly with histopathology, improving diagnostic confidence.
Validated in large animal models and over 10 preclinical studies, NB imaging showed no adverse effects — marking it as a promising and safe diagnostic tool.
Targeted Destruction with Ultrasound: Therapy Without Drugs
Visano’s therapy, called TNT (Targeted Nanobubble Therapy), utilizes a simple, powerful mechanism:
- Ultrasound pulses trigger nanobubble collapse inside the cancer cells.
- The collapse releases intense mechanical energy, causing apoptosis (programmed cell death).
- Healthy neighboring cells remain completely unaffected, as nanobubbles are only activated where they’ve accumulated.
This ultrasound-guided technique transforms imaging equipment into a precision therapeutic tool, allowing clinicians to destroy tumors without surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy.
Benefits at a Glance
- Drug-free and non-invasive — reduces risk of systemic side effects.
- Highly selective targeting — spares healthy tissues.
- Fits into existing clinical workflows — no need for new equipment.
- Immune stimulation — potential to trigger anti-cancer immune responses.
Preclinical Success and Future Promise
Early animal studies show strong NB signals within prostate tumors and successful cancer cell apoptosis after ultrasound exposure. Imaging and histology confirm the precision and efficacy of the therapy. These findings support the case for human trials, and the simplicity of the approach suggests it could be rapidly integrated into clinical use.