Tissue- and Temporal-Dependent Dynamics of Myeloablation in Response to Gemcitabine Chemotherapy.

For triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), the most aggressive subset of breast cancer, immune cell infiltrates have prognostic implications. The presence of myeloid-derived suppressor cells supports tumor progression, while tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) correlate with improved survival and responsiveness to immunotherapy. Manipulating the abundance of these populations may enhance tumor immunity.

Focused ultrasound ablation of melanoma with boiling histotripsy yields abscopal tumor control and antigen-dependent dendritic cell activation.

Boiling histotripsy (BH), a mechanical focused ultrasound ablation strategy, can elicit intriguing signatures of anti-tumor immunity. However, the influence of BH on dendritic cell function is unknown, compromising our ability to optimally combine BH with immunotherapies to control metastatic disease. BH was applied using a sparse scan (1 mm spacing between sonications) protocol to B16F10-ZsGreen melanoma in bilateral and unilateral settings.

Focused ultrasound ablation of melanoma with boiling histotripsy yields abscopal tumor control and antigen-dependent dendritic cell activation.

Background: Boiling histotripsy (BH), a mechanical focused ultrasound ablation strategy, can elicit intriguing signatures of anti-tumor immunity. However, the influence of BH on dendritic cell function is unknown, compromising our ability to optimally combine BH with immunotherapies to control metastatic disease.

Methods: BH was applied using a sparse scan (1 mm spacing between sonications) protocol to B16F10-ZsGreen melanoma in bilateral and unilateral settings.

Combination of thermally ablative focused ultrasound with gemcitabine controls breast cancer via adaptive immunity.

Background: Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) remains recalcitrant to most targeted therapy approaches. However, recent clinical studies suggest that inducing tumor damage can render TNBC responsive to immunotherapy. We therefore tested a strategy for immune sensitization of murine TNBC (4T1 tumors) through combination of focused ultrasound (FUS) thermal ablation and a chemotherapy, gemcitabine (GEM), known to attenuate myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs).