For the first time ever, scientists have succeeded in non-invasively breaking through the blood-brain barrier that protects the brain, managing to deliver chemotherapy medication directly into the malignant brain tumour of a patient.

While the blood-brain barrier is designed to protect our brains – lining the brain’s blood vessels to prevent toxic substances in the bloodstream from getting through – it’s also served as somewhat of a brick wall for modern medicine. In this instance, however, scientists were able to non-invasively breach the blood-brain barrier, using tightly focused ultrasound to effectively part the brain’s protective curtain.