Sound waves and a drug team up to attack deadly brain tumors

NCT ID NCT06039709

Recruiting now Disease control Sponsor: Shayan Moosa, MD Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026

Summary

This pilot study tests a new approach called sonodynamic therapy for people with recurrent glioblastoma, a type of brain cancer that has come back. The treatment combines an investigational drug (5-ALA) with low-intensity focused ultrasound to target and damage tumor cells before surgery. The study will enroll 11 participants to check if the procedure is safe and feasible, not yet whether it works.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance: 5-ALA (a drug that makes tumor cells sensitive to ultrasound) combined with low-intensity focused ultrasound
What this could lead to: If it works, this could point toward a new, non-invasive way to damage glioblastoma cells and improve treatment options for this aggressive brain cancer.
What could go wrong: This is a very early (Phase 1) pilot study with only 11 participants. It focuses on safety, not effectiveness, and the treatment is limited to part of the tumor. Risks include bleeding, brain swelling, and the therapy may not shrink the tumor.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

brain cancer glioblastoma glioma susceptibility 1

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

GBM GLIOBLASTOMA MULTIFORME RECURRENT GLIOBLASTOMA

Contacts and locations

Locations

University of Virginia
RECRUITING

Charlottesville, Virginia, 22903, United States

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