Methods and apparatus for treating glioma

• US 9,155,889 B2
• Filed: 06/19/2014
• Issued: 10/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Neuromodulation Corporation (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Boston Scientific Neuromodulation Corporation (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Hershey, Bradley L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wieland, Robert N
• Application Number:
  US14/309,811
• Publication Number:
  US 20140379060A1
• Time in Patent Office: 481 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0529 Electrodes for brain stimulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0551 Spinal or peripheral nerve electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36062 Spinal stimulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36171 Frequency

Abstract

A method of treating a patient suffering from a glioma. The method comprises delivering electrical energy to a glia at a margin of the glioma, thereby stimulating the glioma.

Claims

1. A method of treating a patient suffering from a glioma, the method comprising:

delivering electrical energy to a glia at a margin of the glioma, thereby stimulating the glioma and/or neural tissue surrounding the glioma and causing a reduction in a size of the glioma.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the frequency of the delivered electrical energy is in the range of 2 Hz to 10 KHz.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the glia lacks a neuronal input from a set of neurons due to the growth of the glioma, and the delivered electrical energy mimics a neuronal input to the glia to restore a natural functioning of the glia.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the delivered electrical energy modulates an intrinsic cytokine activity of the glia of the patient to modulate an inflammation response to the glioma.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the cytokine is at least one of a Leukocyte inhibitory factor (LIF), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF a), and interleukin.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the delivered electrical energy reduces a glial membrane impedance, resulting in induced current injection into the glioma.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising surgically removing at least a portion of the glioma prior to delivering the electrical energy to the glia at the margin.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the glioma is located in the brain of the patient.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the glioma is one of an astrocytoma, oligodendrocytoma, and glioblastoma multiforme.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the glioma is located on a dorsal root ganglion (DRG) of the patient.

11. A method of treating a patient suffering from a glioma, the method comprising:

delivering electrical energy to a glia at a margin of the glioma, thereby stimulating the glioma and/or neural tissue surrounding the glioma and causing a reduction of a risk in metastasis of the glioma.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the delivered electrical energy modulates an intrinsic cytokine activity of the glia of the patient to modulate an inflammation response to the glioma.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the cytokine is at least one of a Leukocyte inhibitory factor (LIF), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF a), and interleukin.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the delivered electrical energy reduces a glial membrane impedance, resulting in induced current injection into the glioma.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising surgically removing at least a portion of the glioma prior to delivering the electrical energy to the glia at the margin.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the glioma is located in the brain of the patient.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the glioma is one of an astrocytoma, oligodendrocytoma, and glioblastoma multiforme.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the glioma is located on a dorsal root ganglion (DRG) of the patient.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the frequency of the delivered electrical energy is in the range of 2 Hz to 10 KHz.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the glia lacks a neuronal input from a set of neurons due to the growth of the glioma, and the delivered electrical energy mimics a neuronal input to the glia to restore a natural functioning of the glia.