Ultrasound-Responsive Cavitation Nuclei for Therapy and Drug Delivery.

Therapeutic ultrasound strategies that harness the mechanical activity of cavitation nuclei for beneficial tissue bio-effects are actively under development. The mechanical oscillations of circulating microbubbles, the most widely investigated cavitation nuclei, which may also encapsulate or shield a therapeutic agent in the bloodstream, trigger and promote localized uptake. Oscillating microbubbles can create stresses either on nearby tissue or in surrounding fluid to enhance drug penetration and efficacy in the brain, spinal cord, vasculature, immune system, biofilm or tumors.

Sonoprinting liposomes on tumor spheroids by microbubbles and ultrasound.

Ultrasound-triggered drug-loaded microbubbles have great potential for drug delivery due to their ability to locally release drugs and simultaneously enhance their delivery into the target tissue. We have recently shown that upon applying ultrasound, nanoparticle-loaded microbubbles can deposit nanoparticles onto cells grown in 2D monolayers, through a process that we termed "sonoprinting". However, the rigid surfaces on which cell monolayers are typically growing might be a source of acoustic reflections and aspherical microbubble oscillations, which can influence microbubble-cell interactions.

Sonoprinting of nanoparticle-loaded microbubbles: Unraveling the multi-timescale mechanism.

Ultrasound-triggered microbubble-assisted drug delivery is a promising tool for localized therapy. Several studies have shown the potential of nanoparticle-loaded microbubbles to effectively enhance the delivery of therapeutic agents to target tissue. We recently discovered that nanoparticle-carrying microbubbles can deposit the nanoparticles in patches onto cell membranes, a process which we termed 'sonoprinting'.

Enhancing Nucleic Acid Delivery with Ultrasound and Microbubbles.

For gene therapy to work in vivo, nucleic acids need to reach the target cells without causing major side effects to the patient. In many cases the gene only has to reach a subset of cells in the body. Therefore, targeted delivery of genes to the desired tissue is a major issue in gene delivery.

The Role of Ultrasound-Driven Microbubble Dynamics in Drug Delivery: From Microbubble Fundamentals to Clinical Translation.

In the last couple of decades, ultrasound-driven microbubbles have proven excellent candidates for local drug delivery applications. Besides being useful drug carriers, microbubbles have demonstrated the ability to enhance cell and tissue permeability and, as a consequence, drug uptake herein. Notwithstanding the large amount of evidence for their therapeutic efficacy, open issues remain.