Newswise — The Focused Ultrasound Surgery Foundation, founded in 2006 to accelerate the development and adoption of a breakthrough therapeutic technology " Magnetic Resonance Guided Focused Ultrasound Surgery " is pleased to announce that author John Grisham has been elected to the Board of Directors for a three-year term.
Dr. Neal F. Kassell, Professor of Neurosurgery at the University of Virginia and Chairman of the Foundation's Board, announced the election and added, "We are delighted to have John as a Board member. It shows that the promise of this technology is attracting prominent support even beyond the scientific and medical community." Mr. Grisham's role will be two-fold: First, to help obtain the philanthropic support necessary to accelerate the development of this exciting field; and, secondly, to increase the awareness of this innovative therapeutic approach.
Mr. Grisham, author of 21 best sellers and a resident of Charlottesville, Virginia, said, "My medical knowledge is quite limited; however, I am convinced that this technology will soon touch the lives of millions of patients, and I am thrilled to have the opportunity to be part of this effort."
About Magnetic Resonance Guided Focused Ultrasound (MRgFUS)MRgFUS is a disruptive technology that is poised to revolutionize the treatment of a wide variety of medical disorders by serving as the ultimate in minimally invasive surgery; an alternative to radiation therapy; the means for precisely delivering drugs in high concentrations to the point where they are needed, avoiding systemic toxicity; and, dissolving blood clots and restoring circulation.
MRgFUS holds the potential to non-invasively treat breast, prostate, liver, and other benign and malignant tumors; to convert metastatic cancer from a lethal disease to a manageable, chronic disorder; reverse the disabling and life threatening neurological deficits from stroke; to alleviate the symptoms of Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, and chronic pain; and to address a host of other disorders ranging from heart disease to diabetes.
The procedure can be performed on an outpatient basis, does not require general anesthesia or incisions, results in minimal discomfort and few complications, and allows rapid recovery.
MRgFUS is the result of the integration of two technologies: high intensity focused ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging. Focused ultrasound technology uses multiple intersecting beams of ultrasound energy focused with extreme precision on a target as small as one millimeter in diameter. Where each individual ultrasound beam passes through the tissue there is no effect, but where they intersect in the body, the focused energy creates a cumulative effect, enabling precise ablation of tissue, highly targeted drug delivery, or liquification of blood clots. Magnetic resonance imaging is used to visualize normal anatomy and abnormal structures within the body, to localize the tissue to be targeted, to guide and control the treatment interactively, and to evaluate the effectiveness of therapy.
About The Focused Ultrasound Surgery Foundation (FUSF) http://www.fusfoundation.org The Charlottesville based Focused Ultrasound Surgery Foundation's mission is to shorten the time from technology development to patient treatment, to develop new applications, and to accelerate the worldwide adoption of MRgFUS. The Foundation's activities include: funding translational and clinical research, providing fellowships for training physicians and scientists, hosting symposia and workshops, maintaining online informational resources, and establishing new centers of excellence.
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