Ultrafast Microscopy Imaging of Acoustic Cluster Therapy Bubbles: Activation and Oscillation.

Acoustic Cluster Therapy (ACT®) is a platform for improving drug delivery and has had promising pre-clinical results. A clinical trial is ongoing. ACT® is based on microclusters of microbubbles-microdroplets that, when sonicated, form a large ACT® bubble.

Implementing Evidence-Based Interventions to Improve Vocational Recovery in Early Psychosis: A Quality-Improvement Report.

Objective: After young adults experience a first episode of psychosis, many express a need for help with education and employment. A quality improvement collaborative (QIC) launched in the Netherlands aimed to reinforce vocational recovery by improving participation in education and employment and by enhancing cognitive skills and self-management. This study examined methods used to implement interventions, barriers and facilitators, and implementation outcomes (fidelity, uptake, and availability).

Effect of Acoustic Radiation Force on the Distribution of Nanoparticles in Solid Tumors.

Acoustic radiation force (ARF) might improve the distribution of nanoparticles (NPs) in tumors. To study this, tumors growing subcutaneously in mice were exposed to focused ultrasound (FUS) either 15 min or 4 h after the injection of NPs, to investigate the effect of ARF on the transport of NPs across the vessel wall and through the extracellular matrix. Quantitative analysis of confocal microscopy images from frozen tumor sections was performed to estimate the displacement of NPs from blood vessels.

Ultrasound-mediated delivery enhances therapeutic efficacy of MMP sensitive liposomes.

To improve therapeutic efficacy of nanocarrier drug delivery systems, it is essential to improve their uptake and penetration in tumour tissue, enhance cellular uptake and ensure efficient drug release at the tumour site. Here we introduce a tumour targeting drug delivery system based on the ultrasound-mediated delivery of enzyme sensitive liposomes. These enzyme sensitive liposomes are coated with cleavable poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) which will be cleaved by two members of the enzyme matrix metalloproteinase family (MMP-2 and MMP-9).