Ultrasound effect on cancerous versus non-cancerous cells

Previous studies have found that cancer cells whose metastatic potential is low are more vulnerable to mechanical stress-induced trauma to their cytoskeleton compared with benign cells. Because ultrasound induces mechanical stresses on cells and tissues, it is postulated that there may be a way to apply ultrasound to tumors to reduce their ability to metastasize. The difference between low-malignant-potential cancer cells and benign cells could be a result of their different responses to the mechanical stress insonation induced. This hypothesis was tested in vitro and in vivo. Low-malignant-potential cells were found to be more sensitive to insonation, resulting in a significantly higher mortality rate compared with that of benign cells, 89% versus 21%, respectively. This effect can be controlled by varying ultrasound parameters: intensity, duration, and duty cycle. Thus, the results presented in this study suggest the application of ultrasound to discriminate between benign and malignant cells.