A $10 million Histotripsy Center has been established at the University of Michigan, funded by Michigan Medicine, HistoSonics, Michigan Engineering, and private donors to advance soundwave-based cancer treatment.

The center provides researchers with access to specialized histotripsy equipment and expertise, available both within the university and to external collaborators.

Funding for the center comes from U‑M, HistoSonics, and private donors including the Li Ka Shing Foundation; HistoSonics has developed FDA-cleared histotripsy devices and commercialized the technology.

Initial programs focus on cancer, neurological indications, and education for future researchers, with plans to train clinicians and expand human clinical trials in a second phase.

Over the next five years, the center aims to scale research to thousands of researchers, run up to 100 concurrent projects, publish more than 100 joint papers, file about 50 patents annually, and pursue 3–5 new FDA approvals for additional diseases to help hundreds of thousands of patients.

FDA approval for histotripsy to treat liver tumors in 2023 underpins the center’s expansion into other cancers, including brain tumors, through foundational studies and translational work.

Histotripsy works by creating gas pockets in tissue with rapidly expanding and collapsing sound waves, breaking apart tumor cells while leaving a liquid residue the body naturally eliminates.

The initiative enables external researchers to use the center’s equipment, including a mobile histotripsy system for remote access, with plans to expand support to thousands of researchers nationwide.

Key participants include Zhen Xu, co-inventor and co-founder of HistoSonics, who envisions scalable, multi-institutional research, along with students like Hanna Kim and James Messina highlighting improved efficiency and global access to the technology.

UM President Domenico Grasso frames the center as a major biomedical milestone with potential impact comparable to historic vaccine breakthroughs.

Located in the Carl A. Gerstacker Building on North Campus, the center emphasizes research access and collaboration, enabling nationwide use and even shipment of equipment to other labs.

UM’s Zhen Xu notes the field’s small size and the scarcity of research-grade histotripsy devices, which the center intends to address with premier equipment and collaboration opportunities.