Mechanical Changes in Fibrous Tissue Exposed to Non-Convergent Ultrasound

Fibrosis is a disease that involves an abnormal accumulation of extracellular matrix material such as collagen, leading to organ failure. This type of organ failure accounts for around one-third of all deaths worldwide. However, since there are no drugs which are curative for this disease, the development of non-invasive treatment strategies is important. In this study, we developed a method of softening fibrotic tissue using non-converging ultrasound irradiation, a non-thermal treatment. The generation of cavitation in a standing wave caused the mechanical strength of the fibrotic tissue to decrease in an irradiation time-dependent manner. The appearance of the fibrous tissue also changed after irradiation, possibly due to the fracture of collagen fibers by ultrasonic cavitation. This method has the potential to treat a wide range of fibrotic tissues. (C) 2023 Institute of Electrical Engineer of Japan and Wiley Periodicals LLC.

Automated summary

Fibrosis is a disease characterized by abnormal accumulation of extracellular matrix material, leading to organ failure. This study presents a non-invasive treatment strategy using non-converging ultrasound irradiation to soften fibrotic tissue. The irradiation-induced cavitation caused a decrease in the mechanical strength of fibrotic tissue, possibly due to the fracture of collagen fibers. This method shows potential for treating various fibrotic tissues.