Sound waves as medicine: ultrasound may tame inflammation without drugs
NCT ID NCT05685108
First seen Jul 21, 2026 · Last updated Jul 22, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study explores whether brief pulses of ultrasound aimed at the spleen or a nerve in the neck can trigger an anti-inflammatory response. Healthy adults aged 25 to 50 will receive ultrasound through a handheld device placed on the abdomen or neck. Researchers will measure changes in immune cells and inflammatory markers in the blood to see if the technique works.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- pulsed ultrasound stimulation targeting the splenic nerve or cervical vagus nerve
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward a non-drug way to control inflammation, potentially helping people with inflammatory diseases.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early feasibility study in healthy people, so results may not apply to those with illness. The effect may be too weak or inconsistent to be useful.
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As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
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Study contacts
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Contact
Phone: •••-•••-•••• Email: •••••@•••••
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Contact
Phone: •••-•••-•••• Email: •••••@•••••
Locations
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University of Virginia, Division of Nephrology; Center for Immunity, Inflammation & Regenerative Medicine
RECRUITINGCharlottesville, Virginia, 22903, United States
Contact Phone: •••-•••-•••• Email: •••••@•••••
Contact Phone: •••-•••-•••• Email: •••••@•••••
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