ReviewQuantitative imaging in medicine and surgery2026
Prospects for clinical translation of histotripsy in liver applications: a systematic review based on preclinical studies.
Review in Quantitative imaging in medicine and surgery, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background: Histotripsy, an ablation method relying on acoustic cavitation, is characterized by its non-thermal, non-ionizing, and non-invasive properties. It has the advantages of tissue selectivity, real-time visualization, and precise ablation. Among the clinical applications of histotripsy, its use in the treatment of liver cancer is the most promising. This review aimed to synthesize preclinical evidence and provide a comprehensive evaluation of histotripsy in the treatment of liver disease. Methods: PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library were searched from database inception to October 15, 2024 to retrieve relevant articles. The Systematic Review Centre for Laboratory Animal Experimentation risk of bias tool was used to assess study quality, and RevMan 5.4 was used to conduct the statistical analyses. Results: In total, 30 animal studies, comprising 25 in vivo and five ex vivo liver studies were included in this review on the application of histotripsy in the treatment of liver disease. In the feasibility research, 97% (96/99) of cases achieved precise ablation with minimal adverse effects (AEs), such as venous thrombosis and local tissue damage. In the rat liver cancer studies, all cases (9/9) who underwent complete ablation achieved 12-week survival. In the partial ablation group, 80% (12/15) achieved effective tumor burden reduction, while 20% (3/15) exhibited local tumor progression. Additionally, while no liver metastases were observed in the partial ablation group, liver metastases were observed in 64.71% (11/17) of the control group. In murine studies, histotripsy not only induced local tumor growth arrest but also triggered abscopal anti-tumor immune effects, manifested by the inhibition of contralateral tumor growth. Boiling histotripsy (BH) treatment of liver fibrosis reduced fibrosis scores and promoted hepatocyte regeneration. In cell therapy, the transplanted hepatocytes proliferated and integrated into the recipient livers. Conclusions: Histotripsy, a promising localized liver ablation method, is safe, targeted, and effective. It can precisely target and ablate tumor or fibrotic tissue through mechanical effects while preserving vital anatomical structures. Additionally, it can stimulate the immune system, inhibiting tumor growth and metastases.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.