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Guo Y, Lee H, Kim C, Park C, Yamamichi A, Chuntova P, Gallus M, Bernabeu MO, Okada H, Jo H, Arvanitis C. Ultrasound frequency-controlled microbubble dynamics in brain vessels regulate the enrichment of inflammatory pathways in the blood-brain barrier. Nat Commun 2024; 15:8021. [PMID: 39271721 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-52329-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2024] [Indexed: 09/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Microbubble-enhanced ultrasound provides a noninvasive physical method to locally overcome major obstacles to the accumulation of blood-borne therapeutics in the brain, posed by the blood-brain barrier (BBB). However, due to the highly nonlinear and coupled behavior of microbubble dynamics in brain vessels, the impact of microbubble resonant effects on BBB signaling and function remains undefined. Here, combined theoretical and prospective experimental investigations reveal that microbubble resonant effects in brain capillaries can control the enrichment of inflammatory pathways that are sensitive to wall shear stress and promote differential expression of a range of transcripts in the BBB, supporting the notion that microbubble dynamics exerted mechanical stress can be used to establish molecular, in addition to spatial, therapeutic windows to target brain diseases. Consistent with these findings, a robust increase in cytotoxic T-cell accumulation in brain tumors was observed, demonstrating the functional relevance and potential clinical significance of the observed immuno-mechano-biological responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yutong Guo
- Georgia Institute of Technology, Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Atlanta, USA
- Stanford University, Department of Radiology, Stanford, USA
| | - Hohyun Lee
- Georgia Institute of Technology, Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Atlanta, USA
| | - Chulyong Kim
- Georgia Institute of Technology, Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Atlanta, USA
| | - Christian Park
- Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Atlanta, USA
| | - Akane Yamamichi
- University of California San Francisco, Department of Neurological Surgery, San Francisco, USA
| | - Pavlina Chuntova
- University of California San Francisco, Department of Neurological Surgery, San Francisco, USA
| | - Marco Gallus
- University of California San Francisco, Department of Neurological Surgery, San Francisco, USA
| | - Miguel O Bernabeu
- The University of Edinburgh, Centre for Medical Informatics, Usher Institute, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- The University of Edinburgh, The Bayes Centre, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Hideho Okada
- University of California San Francisco, Department of Neurological Surgery, San Francisco, USA
- Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, San Francisco, USA
| | - Hanjoong Jo
- Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Atlanta, USA
- Emory University, Department of Medicine, Atlanta, USA
| | - Costas Arvanitis
- Georgia Institute of Technology, Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Atlanta, USA.
- Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Atlanta, USA.
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Antoniou A, Evripidou N, Damianou C. Focused ultrasound heating in brain tissue/skull phantoms with 1 MHz single-element transducer. J Ultrasound 2024; 27:263-274. [PMID: 37517052 PMCID: PMC11178743 DOI: 10.1007/s40477-023-00810-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/09/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE The study aims to provide insights on the practicality of using single-element transducers for transcranial Focused Ultrasound (tFUS) thermal applications. METHODS FUS sonications were performed through skull phantoms embedding agar-based tissue mimicking gels using a 1 MHz single-element spherically focused transducer. The skull phantoms were 3D printed with Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) and Resin thermoplastics having the exact skull bone geometry of a healthy volunteer. The temperature field distribution during and after heating was monitored in a 3 T Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scanner using MR thermometry. The effect of the skull's thickness on intracranial heating was investigated. RESULTS A single FUS sonication at focal acoustic intensities close to 1580 W/cm2 for 60 s in free field heated up the agar phantom to ablative temperatures reaching about 90 °C (baseline of 37 °C). The ABS skull strongly blocked the ultrasonic waves, resulting in zero temperature increase within the phantom. Considerable heating was achieved through the Resin skull, but it remained at hyperthermia levels. Conversely, tFUS through a 1 mm Resin skull showed enhanced ultrasonic penetration and heating, with the focal temperature reaching 70 °C. CONCLUSIONS The ABS skull demonstrated poorer performance in terms of tFUS compared to the Resin skull owing to its higher ultrasonic attenuation and porosity. The thin Resin phantom of 1 mm thickness provided an efficient acoustic window for delivering tFUS and heating up deep phantom areas. The results of such studies could be particularly useful for accelerating the establishment of a wider range of tFUS applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasia Antoniou
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, and Informatics, Cyprus University of Technology, 30 Archbishop Kyprianou Street, 3036, Limassol, Cyprus
| | - Nikolas Evripidou
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, and Informatics, Cyprus University of Technology, 30 Archbishop Kyprianou Street, 3036, Limassol, Cyprus
| | - Christakis Damianou
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, and Informatics, Cyprus University of Technology, 30 Archbishop Kyprianou Street, 3036, Limassol, Cyprus.
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Zhao P, Wu T, Tian Y, You J, Cui X. Recent advances of focused ultrasound induced blood-brain barrier opening for clinical applications of neurodegenerative diseases. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2024; 209:115323. [PMID: 38653402 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2024.115323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2023] [Revised: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 04/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
With the aging population on the rise, neurodegenerative disorders have taken center stage as a significant health concern. The blood-brain barrier (BBB) plays an important role to maintain the stability of central nervous system, yet it poses a formidable obstacle to delivering drugs for neurodegenerative disease therapy. Various methods have been devised to confront this challenge, each carrying its own set of limitations. One particularly promising noninvasive approach involves the utilization of focused ultrasound (FUS) combined with contrast agents-microbubbles (MBs) to achieve transient and reversible BBB opening. This review provides a comprehensive exploration of the fundamental mechanisms behind FUS/MBs-mediated BBB opening and spotlights recent breakthroughs in its application for neurodegenerative diseases. Furthermore, it addresses the current challenges and presents future perspectives in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pengxuan Zhao
- Department of Medical Ultrasound, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China; School of Pharmacy, Hainan Provincial Key Laboratory for Research and Development of Tropical Herbs, International Joint Research Center of Human-machine Intelligent Collaborative for Tumor Precision Diagnosis and Treatment of Hainan Province, Hainan Medical University, Haikou 571199, China
| | - Tiantian Wu
- School of Pharmacy, Hainan Provincial Key Laboratory for Research and Development of Tropical Herbs, International Joint Research Center of Human-machine Intelligent Collaborative for Tumor Precision Diagnosis and Treatment of Hainan Province, Hainan Medical University, Haikou 571199, China
| | - Yu Tian
- Jiangsu Hengrui Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd., Shanghai 200000, China
| | - Jia You
- School of Pharmacy, Hainan Provincial Key Laboratory for Research and Development of Tropical Herbs, International Joint Research Center of Human-machine Intelligent Collaborative for Tumor Precision Diagnosis and Treatment of Hainan Province, Hainan Medical University, Haikou 571199, China
| | - Xinwu Cui
- Department of Medical Ultrasound, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China.
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4
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Antoniou A, Stavrou M, Evripidou N, Georgiou E, Kousiappa I, Koupparis A, Papacostas SS, Kleopa KA, Damianou C. FUS-mediated blood-brain barrier disruption for delivering anti-Aβ antibodies in 5XFAD Alzheimer's disease mice. J Ultrasound 2024; 27:251-262. [PMID: 37516718 PMCID: PMC11178731 DOI: 10.1007/s40477-023-00805-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 07/31/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides, the main component of amyloid plaques found in the Alzheimer's disease (AD) brain, are implicated in its pathogenesis, and are considered a key target in AD therapeutics. We herein propose a reliable strategy for non-invasively delivering a specific anti-Aβ antibody in a mouse model of AD by microbubbles-enhanced Focused Ultrasound (FUS)-mediated Blood-brain barrier disruption (BBBD), using a simple single stage MR-compatible positioning device. METHODS The initial experimental work involved wild-type mice and was devoted to selecting the sonication protocol for efficient and safe BBBD. Pulsed FUS was applied using a single-element FUS transducer of 1 MHz (80 mm radius of curvature and 50 mm diameter). The success and extent of BBBD were assessed by Evans Blue extravasation and brain damage by hematoxylin and eosin staining. 5XFAD mice were divided into different subgroups; control (n = 1), FUS + MBs alone (n = 5), antibody alone (n = 5), and FUS + antibody combined (n = 10). The changes in antibody deposition among groups were determined by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS It was confirmed that the antibody could not normally enter the brain parenchyma. A single treatment with MBs-enhanced pulsed FUS using the optimized protocol (1 MHz, 0.5 MPa in-situ pressure, 10 ms bursts, 1% duty factor, 100 s duration) transiently disrupted the BBB allowing for non-invasive antibody delivery to amyloid plaques within the sonicated brain regions. This was consistently reproduced in ten mice. CONCLUSION These preliminary findings should be confirmed by longer-term studies examining the antibody effects on plaque clearance and cognitive benefit to hold promise for developing disease-modifying anti-Aβ therapeutics for clinical use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasia Antoniou
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, and Informatics, Cyprus University of Technology, Limassol, Cyprus
| | - Marios Stavrou
- Department of Neurobiology, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Nikolas Evripidou
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, and Informatics, Cyprus University of Technology, Limassol, Cyprus
| | - Elena Georgiou
- Department of Neuroscience, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Ioanna Kousiappa
- Department of Neurobiology, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Andreas Koupparis
- Department of Neurobiology, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Savvas S Papacostas
- Department of Neurobiology, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Kleopas A Kleopa
- Department of Neuroscience, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Christakis Damianou
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, and Informatics, Cyprus University of Technology, Limassol, Cyprus.
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Kline-Schoder AR, Chintamen S, Willner MJ, DiBenedetto MR, Noel RL, Batts AJ, Kwon N, Zacharoulis S, Wu CC, Menon V, Kernie SG, Konofagou EE. Characterization of the responses of brain macrophages to focused ultrasound-mediated blood-brain barrier opening. Nat Biomed Eng 2024; 8:650-663. [PMID: 37857722 DOI: 10.1038/s41551-023-01107-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 09/16/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023]
Abstract
The opening of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) by focused ultrasound (FUS) coupled with intravenously injected microbubbles can be leveraged as a form of immunotherapy for the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders. However, how FUS BBB opening affects brain macrophages is not well understood. Here by using single-cell sequencing to characterize the distinct responses of microglia and central nervous system-associated macrophages (CAMs) to FUS-mediated BBB opening in mice, we show that the treatment remodels the immune landscape via the recruitment of CAMs and the proliferation of microglia and via population size increases in disease-associated microglia. Both microglia and CAMs showed early and late increases in population sizes, yet only the proliferation of microglia increased at both timepoints. The population of disease-associated microglia also increased, accompanied by the upregulation of genes associated with gliogenesis and phagocytosis, with the depletion of brain macrophages significantly decreasing the duration of BBB opening.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sana Chintamen
- Department of Neurobiology and Behaviour, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Moshe J Willner
- Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Rebecca L Noel
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Alec J Batts
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Nancy Kwon
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Cheng-Chia Wu
- Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Vilas Menon
- Department of Neurology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Steven G Kernie
- Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Elisa E Konofagou
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
- Department of Radiology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
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Memari E, Khan D, Alkins R, Helfield B. Focused ultrasound-assisted delivery of immunomodulating agents in brain cancer. J Control Release 2024; 367:283-299. [PMID: 38266715 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2024.01.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2023] [Revised: 01/12/2024] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
Focused ultrasound (FUS) combined with intravascularly circulating microbubbles can transiently increase the permeability of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) to enable targeted therapeutic delivery to the brain, the clinical testing of which is currently underway in both adult and pediatric patients. Aside from traditional cancer drugs, this technique is being extended to promote the delivery of immunomodulating therapeutics to the brain, including antibodies, immune cells, and cytokines. In this manner, FUS approaches are being explored as a tool to improve and amplify the effectiveness of immunotherapy for both primary and metastatic brain cancer, a particularly challenging solid tumor to treat. Here, we present an overview of the latest groundbreaking research in FUS-assisted delivery of immunomodulating agents to the brain in pre-clinical models of brain cancer, and place it within the context of the current immunotherapy approaches. We follow this up with a discussion on new developments and emerging strategies for this rapidly evolving approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elahe Memari
- Department of Physics, Concordia University, Montreal H4B 1R6, Canada
| | - Dure Khan
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - Ryan Alkins
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada; Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, Kingston Health Sciences Centre, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - Brandon Helfield
- Department of Physics, Concordia University, Montreal H4B 1R6, Canada; Department of Biology, Concordia University, Montreal H4B 1R6, Canada.
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7
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Nouraein S, Lee S, Saenz VA, Del Mundo HC, Yiu J, Szablowski JO. Acoustically targeted noninvasive gene therapy in large brain volumes. Gene Ther 2024; 31:85-94. [PMID: 37696982 DOI: 10.1038/s41434-023-00421-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2023] [Revised: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/13/2023]
Abstract
Focused Ultrasound Blood-Brain Barrier Opening (FUS-BBBO) can deliver adeno-associated viral vectors (AAVs) to treat genetic disorders of the brain. However, such disorders often affect large brain regions. Moreover, the applicability of FUS-BBBO in the treatment of brain-wide genetic disorders has not yet been evaluated. Herein, we evaluated the transduction efficiency and safety of opening up to 105 sites simultaneously. Increasing the number of targeted sites increased gene delivery efficiency at each site. We achieved transduction of up to 60% of brain cells with comparable efficiency in the majority of the brain regions. Furthermore, gene delivery with FUS-BBBO was safe even when all 105 sites were targeted simultaneously without negative effects on animal weight or neuronal loss. To evaluate the application of multi-site FUS-BBBO for gene therapy, we used it for gene editing using the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated 9 (Cas9) system and found effective gene editing, but also a loss of neurons at the targeted sites. Overall, this study provides a brain-wide map of transduction efficiency, shows the synergistic effect of multi-site targeting on transduction efficiency, and is the first example of large brain volume gene editing after noninvasive gene delivery with FUS-BBBO.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shirin Nouraein
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Rice Neuroengineering Initiative, Rice University, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Synthetic, Systems, and Physical Biology Program, Rice University, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - Sangsin Lee
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Rice Neuroengineering Initiative, Rice University, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Vidal A Saenz
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | | | - Joycelyn Yiu
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Jerzy O Szablowski
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
- Rice Neuroengineering Initiative, Rice University, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
- Synthetic, Systems, and Physical Biology Program, Rice University, Houston, TX, 77005, USA.
- Applied Physics Program, Rice University, Houston, TX, 77005, USA.
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8
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Esposito C, Tzan K, Machado P, Forsberg F, Dave JK. The Effect of Mixing Iodinated Contrast Media and Ultrasound Contrast Agents on Subharmonic Signals. ULTRASONIC IMAGING 2024; 46:130-134. [PMID: 38318708 DOI: 10.1177/01617346241227971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2024]
Abstract
Subharmonic aided pressure estimation (SHAPE) is a technique that utilizes subharmonic signals from microbubble contrast agents for pressure estimation. Validation of the SHAPE technique relies on synchronous measurements of in vivo pressures using contrast microbubbles and a pressure catheter (reference standard). For the guidance and placement of pressure catheter in vivo, iodinated contrast is used with fluoroscopy. Therefore, during data acquisition for validation studies of the SHAPE technique, both contrast microbubbles and iodinated contrast are present simultaneously within the vasculature. This study aims to elucidate the effects of iodinated contrast (Visipaque, GE HealthCare) on subharmonic signal amplitude from contrast microbubbles (Definity, Lantheus Medical Imaging, Inc.). In an acrylic water tank, 0.06 mL of Definity and varied amounts of Visipaque (0.14, 0.43, 0.85, and 1.70 mL) were added to 425 mL of deionized water. Ultrasound scanning was performed with a SonixTablet scanner (BK Medical Systems) using optimized parameters for SHAPE with Definity (ftransmit/receive = 3.0/1.5 MHz; chirp down pulse). Subharmonic data was acquired and analyzed at 9 different incident acoustic outputs (n = 3). Results showed an increase in subharmonic signal amplitude from Definity microbubbles in the presence of 0.14 mL Visipaque by 2.8 ± 1.3 dB (p < .001), no change with 0.85 mL Visipaque (0.7 ± 1.2 dB; p = .09) and a decrease in subharmonic amplitude in the presence of 1.70 mL Visipaque by 1.9 ± 0.7 dB (p < .001). While statistically significant effect on subharmonic signal amplitude of Definity microbubbles was noted due to the mixture, the magnitude of the effect was minimal (~2.8 dB) and unlikely to impact in vivo SHAPE measurements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cara Esposito
- Department of Radiology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Kenneth Tzan
- Department of Radiology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Priscilla Machado
- Department of Radiology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Flemming Forsberg
- Department of Radiology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Jaydev K Dave
- Department of Radiology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
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Rajora MA, Dhaliwal A, Zheng M, Choi V, Overchuk M, Lou JWH, Pellow C, Goertz D, Chen J, Zheng G. Quantitative Pharmacokinetics Reveal Impact of Lipid Composition on Microbubble and Nanoprogeny Shell Fate. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2024; 11:e2304453. [PMID: 38032129 PMCID: PMC10811482 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202304453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2023] [Revised: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Abstract
Microbubble-enabled focused ultrasound (MB-FUS) has revolutionized nano and molecular drug delivery capabilities. Yet, the absence of longitudinal, systematic, quantitative studies of microbubble shell pharmacokinetics hinders progress within the MB-FUS field. Microbubble radiolabeling challenges contribute to this void. This barrier is overcome by developing a one-pot, purification-free copper chelation protocol able to stably radiolabel diverse porphyrin-lipid-containing Definity® analogues (pDefs) with >95% efficiency while maintaining microbubble physicochemical properties. Five tri-modal (ultrasound-, positron emission tomography (PET)-, and fluorescent-active) [64 Cu]Cu-pDefs are created with varying lipid acyl chain length and charge, representing the most prevalently studied microbubble compositions. In vitro, C16 chain length microbubbles yield 2-3x smaller nanoprogeny than C18 microbubbles post FUS. In vivo, [64 Cu]Cu-pDefs are tracked in healthy and 4T1 tumor-bearing mice ± FUS over 48 h qualitatively through fluorescence imaging (to characterize particle disruption) and quantitatively through PET and γ-counting. These studies reveal the impact of microbubble composition and FUS on microbubble dissolution rates, shell circulation, off-target tissue retention (predominantly the liver and spleen), and FUS enhancement of tumor delivery. These findings yield pharmacokinetic microbubble structure-activity relationships that disrupt conventional knowledge, the implications of which on MB-FUS platform design, safety, and nanomedicine delivery are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maneesha A. Rajora
- Princess Margaret Cancer CentreUniversity Health NetworkTorontoOntarioM5G 1L7Canada
- Institute of Biomedical EngineeringUniversity of TorontoTorontoOntarioM5G 1L7Canada
| | - Alexander Dhaliwal
- Princess Margaret Cancer CentreUniversity Health NetworkTorontoOntarioM5G 1L7Canada
- Department of Medical BiophysicsUniversity of TorontoTorontoOntarioM5G 1L7Canada
| | - Mark Zheng
- Princess Margaret Cancer CentreUniversity Health NetworkTorontoOntarioM5G 1L7Canada
| | - Victor Choi
- Princess Margaret Cancer CentreUniversity Health NetworkTorontoOntarioM5G 1L7Canada
| | - Marta Overchuk
- Princess Margaret Cancer CentreUniversity Health NetworkTorontoOntarioM5G 1L7Canada
- Institute of Biomedical EngineeringUniversity of TorontoTorontoOntarioM5G 1L7Canada
- Joint Department of Biomedical EngineeringUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and North Carolina State UniversityChapel HillNC27599USA
| | - Jenny W. H. Lou
- Princess Margaret Cancer CentreUniversity Health NetworkTorontoOntarioM5G 1L7Canada
- Department of Medical BiophysicsUniversity of TorontoTorontoOntarioM5G 1L7Canada
| | - Carly Pellow
- Princess Margaret Cancer CentreUniversity Health NetworkTorontoOntarioM5G 1L7Canada
- Department of Medical BiophysicsUniversity of TorontoTorontoOntarioM5G 1L7Canada
- Sunnybrook Research InstituteTorontoOntarioM4N 3M5Canada
| | - David Goertz
- Department of Medical BiophysicsUniversity of TorontoTorontoOntarioM5G 1L7Canada
- Sunnybrook Research InstituteTorontoOntarioM4N 3M5Canada
| | - Juan Chen
- Princess Margaret Cancer CentreUniversity Health NetworkTorontoOntarioM5G 1L7Canada
| | - Gang Zheng
- Princess Margaret Cancer CentreUniversity Health NetworkTorontoOntarioM5G 1L7Canada
- Institute of Biomedical EngineeringUniversity of TorontoTorontoOntarioM5G 1L7Canada
- Department of Medical BiophysicsUniversity of TorontoTorontoOntarioM5G 1L7Canada
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10
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Antoniou A, Damianou C. Feasibility of Ultrasonic Heating through Skull Phantom Using Single-element Transducer. J Med Ultrasound 2024; 32:32-40. [PMID: 38665339 PMCID: PMC11040484 DOI: 10.4103/jmu.jmu_3_23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2023] [Revised: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/31/2023] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Noninvasive neurosurgery has become possible through the use of transcranial focused ultrasound (FUS). This study assessed the heating ability of single element spherically focused transducers operating at 0.4 and 1.1 MHz through three-dimensional (3D) printed thermoplastic skull phantoms. Methods Phantoms with precise skull bone geometry of a male patient were 3D printed using common thermoplastic materials following segmentation on a computed tomography head scan image. The brain tissue was mimicked by an agar-based gel phantom developed in-house. The selection of phantom materials was mainly based on transmission-through attenuation measurements. Phantom sonications were performed through water, and then, with the skull phantoms intervening the beam path. In each case, thermometry was performed at the focal spot using thermocouples. Results The focal temperature change in the presence of the skull phantoms was reduced to less than 20 % of that recorded in free field when using the 0.4 MHz transducer, whereas the 1.1 MHz trans-skull sonication produced minimal or no change in focal temperature. The 0.4 MHz transducer showed better performance in trans-skull transmission but still not efficient. Conclusion The inability of both tested single element transducers to steer the beam through the high attenuating skull phantoms and raise the temperature at the focus was confirmed, underlying the necessity to use a correction technique to compensate for energy losses, such those provided by phased arrays. The proposed phantom could be used as a cost-effective and ergonomic tool for trans-skull FUS preclinical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasia Antoniou
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering and Informatics, Cyprus University of Technology, Limassol, Cyprus
| | - Christakis Damianou
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering and Informatics, Cyprus University of Technology, Limassol, Cyprus
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11
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Rodríguez JA, Gutiérrez MI, Vera A, Hernández DA, Gutiérrez JM, Martínez-Fong D, Leija L. Protocol to Induce the Temporary Opening of the Blood-Brain Barrier with Short-Time Focused Ultrasound in Rats. Pharmaceutics 2023; 15:2733. [PMID: 38140074 PMCID: PMC10748005 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15122733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2023] [Revised: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Brain neurodegenerative diseases are central nervous system (CNS) affections typically common in older adults. A new therapeutic approach for them consists of providing specific drugs to the CNS through blood circulation; however, the Blood-Brain Barrier (BBB) prevents almost 100% of neurotherapeutics from reaching the brain. There are indications that Focused Ultrasound (FUS), temporarily placed in the BBB, can achieve a controlled increase in temperature at its focus, allowing temporary, localized, and reversible opening of this barrier, which facilitates the temporary delivery of specific drugs. This work presents a FUS-based protocol for the local, temporary, and reversible opening of the BBB in Wistar rats. The proposed protocol specifies certain power, treatment times, and duty cycle to controllably increase the temperature at the region of interest, i.e., the substantia nigra. Numerical simulations using commercial software based on the finite element method were carried out to determine the optimal size of the craniotomies for nearly full-acoustic transmission. Experiments in rats were performed with the parameters used during computational simulations to determine the adequate opening of the BBB. For this, craniotomies of different sizes were made at coordinates of the substantia nigra, and FUS was applied from the exterior. The opening of the BBB was evaluated using Evans Blue (EB) as an indicator of the crossing of the dye from the blood vessels to brain tissue. Numerical simulations demonstrated a major distance reached by the ultrasound focus with a bigger diameter. Experimental results show the local, temporary, and reversible opening of the BBB through a 10 mm diameter craniotomy, which effectively allowed placing the ultrasound focus over the substantia nigra, unlike a 6 mm diameter craniotomy in which there is a deviation of the focus through that window. Moreover, from these results, it was also determined that the disruption of the BBB was reversible, with an opening duration of 6 h after FUS application. The experimental work developed in this study resulted in a minimally invasive method for the temporary opening of the BBB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge A. Rodríguez
- Bioelectronics Section, Electrical Engineering Department, Center for Research and Advanced Studies of the National Polytechnic Institute, Mexico City 07360, Mexico; (J.A.R.); (D.A.H.); (J.M.G.); (L.L.)
| | - Mario I. Gutiérrez
- Subdirección de Investigación Tecnológica, Consejo Nacional de Humanidades, Ciencias y Tecnologías-Instituto Nacional de Rehabilitación LGII, División de Investigación en Ingeniería Médica, Mexico City 14389, Mexico;
| | - Arturo Vera
- Bioelectronics Section, Electrical Engineering Department, Center for Research and Advanced Studies of the National Polytechnic Institute, Mexico City 07360, Mexico; (J.A.R.); (D.A.H.); (J.M.G.); (L.L.)
| | - Daniel A. Hernández
- Bioelectronics Section, Electrical Engineering Department, Center for Research and Advanced Studies of the National Polytechnic Institute, Mexico City 07360, Mexico; (J.A.R.); (D.A.H.); (J.M.G.); (L.L.)
| | - Juan M. Gutiérrez
- Bioelectronics Section, Electrical Engineering Department, Center for Research and Advanced Studies of the National Polytechnic Institute, Mexico City 07360, Mexico; (J.A.R.); (D.A.H.); (J.M.G.); (L.L.)
| | - Daniel Martínez-Fong
- Departamento de Fisiología, Biofísica y Neurociencias, Programa de Nanociencias y Nanotecnología, Center for Research and Advanced Studies of the National Polytechnic Institute, Mexico City 07360, Mexico;
| | - Lorenzo Leija
- Bioelectronics Section, Electrical Engineering Department, Center for Research and Advanced Studies of the National Polytechnic Institute, Mexico City 07360, Mexico; (J.A.R.); (D.A.H.); (J.M.G.); (L.L.)
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12
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Bae S, Liu K, Pouliopoulos AN, Ji R, Konofagou EE. Real-Time Passive Acoustic Mapping With Enhanced Spatial Resolution in Neuronavigation-Guided Focused Ultrasound for Blood-Brain Barrier Opening. IEEE Trans Biomed Eng 2023; 70:2874-2885. [PMID: 37159313 PMCID: PMC10538424 DOI: 10.1109/tbme.2023.3266952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Passive acoustic mapping (PAM) provides the spatial information of acoustic energy emitted from microbubbles during focused ultrasound (FUS), which can be used for safety and efficacy monitoring of blood-brain barrier (BBB) opening. In our previous work with a neuronavigation-guided FUS system, only part of the cavitation signal could be monitored in real time due to the computational burden although full-burst analysis is required to detect transient and stochastic cavitation activity. In addition, the spatial resolution of PAM can be limited for a small-aperture receiving array transducer. For full-burst real-time PAM with enhanced resolution, we developed a parallel processing scheme for coherence-factor-based PAM (CF-PAM) and implemented it onto the neuronavigation-guided FUS system using a co-axial phased-array imaging transducer. METHODS Simulation and in-vitro human skull studies were conducted for the performance evaluation of the proposed method in terms of spatial resolution and processing speed. We also carried out real-time cavitation mapping during BBB opening in non-human primates (NHPs). RESULTS CF-PAM with the proposed processing scheme provided better resolution than that of traditional time-exposure-acoustics PAM with a higher processing speed than that of eigenspace-based robust Capon beamformer, which facilitated the full-burst PAM with the integration time of 10 ms at a rate of 2 Hz. In vivo feasibility of PAM with the co-axial imaging transducer was also demonstrated in two NHPs, showing the advantages of using real-time B-mode and full-burst PAM for accurate targeting and safe treatment monitoring. SIGNIFICANCE This full-burst PAM with enhanced resolution will facilitate the clinical translation of online cavitation monitoring for safe and efficient BBB opening.
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13
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Chen YH, Moore D, Lee CC, Su YH. Focused ultrasound for brain metastases: an update on global clinical trials. J Neurooncol 2023; 165:53-62. [PMID: 37910281 DOI: 10.1007/s11060-023-04492-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2023] [Accepted: 10/28/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite advances in immunotherapy and targeted treatments for malignancies of the central nervous system (CNS), the treatment of brain metastases (BMs) remains a formidable challenge, due largely to difficulties in crossing the blood-brain barrier (BBB), drug resistance, and molecular discrepancies. Focused ultrasound (FUS) is a non-invasive tool for BBB breaching, tumor ablation, enhancing drug delivery, promoting the release of tumor biomarkers for liquid biopsy, or the tumor microenvironment disruption. This paper presents a comprehensive review of the current literature related to FUS and its application in the treatment of brain metastasis. METHODS This review of the current literature via PubMed, Google Scholar, and Clincaltrials.gov focused on clinical trials in which FUS is used in the intracranial treatment of metastatic tumor, glioma, or GBM. RESULTS FUS is safe and effective for treatment of primary or metastatic brain tumors. FUS-augmented drug delivery can open BBB to facilitate the transport of chemotherapeutic agents, immunotherapies, and targeted treatments. The integration of FUS with liquid biopsy has considerable potential for early tumor detection, precise gene profiling, and personalized therapy. Sonodynamic therapy can induce tumor cell apoptosis and could potentially be used to enhance the outcomes of other tumor treatments, such as surgery and chemotherapy. CONCLUSION Further work is required to establish FUS as a standard therapy for BMs. FUS has the potential to transform brain tumor treatment, particularly when combined with immunotherapy and targeted therapy as a non-invasive alternative to surgery and radiation therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Hsiu Chen
- Department of Neurosurgery, Neurological Institute, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - David Moore
- Focused Ultrasound Foundation, 1230 Cedars Court, Suite 206, Charlottesville, VA, 22903, USA
| | - Cheng-Chia Lee
- Department of Neurosurgery, Neurological Institute, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
- School of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Brain Research Center, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yan-Hua Su
- Department of Neurosurgery, Neurological Institute, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan.
- Department of Neurosurgery, Fu Jen Catholic University Hospital, New Taipei City, Taiwan.
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14
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Noel RL, Gorman SL, Batts AJ, Konofagou EE. Getting ahead of Alzheimer's disease: early intervention with focused ultrasound. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1229683. [PMID: 37575309 PMCID: PMC10412991 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1229683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The amyloid-β (Aβ) hypothesis implicates Aβ protein accumulation in Alzheimer's disease (AD) onset and progression. However, therapies targeting Aβ have proven insufficient in achieving disease reversal, prompting a shift to focus on early intervention and alternative therapeutic targets. Focused ultrasound (FUS) paired with systemically-introduced microbubbles (μB) is a non-invasive technique for targeted and transient blood-brain barrier opening (BBBO), which has demonstrated Aβ and tau reduction, as well as memory improvement in models of late-stage AD. However, similar to drug treatments for AD, this approach is not sufficient for complete reversal of advanced, symptomatic AD. Here we aim to determine whether early intervention with FUS-BBBO in asymptomatic AD could delay disease onset. Thus, the objective of this study is to measure the protective effects of FUS-BBBO on anxiety, memory and AD-associated protein levels in female and male triple transgenic (3xTg) AD mice treated at an early age and disease state. Here we show that early, repeated intervention with FUS-BBBO decreased anxiety-associated behaviors in the open field test by 463.02 and 37.42% in male and female cohorts, respectively. FUS-BBBO preserved female aptitude for learning in the active place avoidance paradigm, reducing the shock quadrant time by 30.03 and 31.01% in the final long-term and reversal learning trials, respectively. Finally, FUS-BBBO reduced hippocampal accumulation of Aβ40, Aβ42, and total tau in females by 12.54, 13.05, and 3.57%, respectively, and reduced total tau in males by 18.98%. This demonstration of both cognitive and pathological protection could offer a solution for carriers of AD-associated mutations as a safe, non-invasive technique to delay the onset of the cognitive and pathological effects of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca L. Noel
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Samantha L. Gorman
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Alec J. Batts
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Elisa E. Konofagou
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Radiology, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
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15
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Antoniou A, Nikolaou A, Georgiou A, Evripidou N, Damianou C. Development of an US, MRI, and CT imaging compatible realistic mouse phantom for thermal ablation and focused ultrasound evaluation. ULTRASONICS 2023; 131:106955. [PMID: 36854247 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultras.2023.106955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Revised: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Tissue mimicking phantoms (TMPs) play an essential role in modern biomedical research as cost-effective quality assurance and training tools, simultaneously contributing to the reduction of animal use. Herein, we present the development and evaluation of an anatomically accurate mouse phantom intended for image-guided thermal ablation and Focused Ultrasound (FUS) applications. The proposed mouse model consists of skeletal and soft tissue mimics, whose design was based on the Computed tomography (CT) scans data of a live mouse. Advantageously, it is compatible with US, CT, and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). The compatibility assessment was focused on the radiological behavior of the phantom due to the lack of relevant literature. The X-ray linear attenuation coefficient of candidate materials was estimated to assess the one that matches best the radiological behavior of living tissues. The bone part was manufactured by Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) printing using Acrylonitrile styrene acrylate (ASA) material. For the soft-tissue mimic, a special mold was 3D printed having a cavity with the unique shape of the mouse body and filled with an agar-based silica-doped gel. The mouse phantom accurately matched the size and reproduced the body surface of the imaged mouse. Tissue-equivalency in terms of X-ray attenuation was demonstrated for the agar-based soft-tissue mimic. The phantom demonstrated excellent MRI visibility of the skeletal and soft-tissue mimics. Good radiological contrast between the skeletal and soft-tissue models was also observed in the CT scans. The model was also able to reproduce realistic behavior during trans-skull sonication as proved by thermocouple measurements. Overall, the proposed phantom is inexpensive, ergonomic, and realistic. It could constitute a powerful tool for image-guided thermal ablation and FUS studies in terms of testing and optimizing the performance of relevant equipment and protocols. It also possess great potential for use in transcranial FUS applications, including the emerging topic of FUS-mediated blood brain barrier (BBB) disruption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasia Antoniou
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, and Informatics, Cyprus University of Technology, Limassol, Cyprus.
| | - Anastasia Nikolaou
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, and Informatics, Cyprus University of Technology, Limassol, Cyprus.
| | - Andreas Georgiou
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, and Informatics, Cyprus University of Technology, Limassol, Cyprus.
| | - Nikolas Evripidou
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, and Informatics, Cyprus University of Technology, Limassol, Cyprus.
| | - Christakis Damianou
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, and Informatics, Cyprus University of Technology, Limassol, Cyprus.
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16
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Dasgupta A, Sun T, Palomba R, Rama E, Zhang Y, Power C, Moeckel D, Liu M, Sarode A, Weiler M, Motta A, Porte C, Magnuska Z, Said Elshafei A, Barmin R, Graham A, McClelland A, Rommel D, Stickeler E, Kiessling F, Pallares RM, De Laporte L, Decuzzi P, McDannold N, Mitragotri S, Lammers T. Nonspherical ultrasound microbubbles. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2218847120. [PMID: 36940339 PMCID: PMC10068850 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2218847120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 03/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Surface tension provides microbubbles (MB) with a perfect spherical shape. Here, we demonstrate that MB can be engineered to be nonspherical, endowing them with unique features for biomedical applications. Anisotropic MB were generated via one-dimensionally stretching spherical poly(butyl cyanoacrylate) MB above their glass transition temperature. Compared to their spherical counterparts, nonspherical polymeric MB displayed superior performance in multiple ways, including i) increased margination behavior in blood vessel-like flow chambers, ii) reduced macrophage uptake in vitro, iii) prolonged circulation time in vivo, and iv) enhanced blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeation in vivo upon combination with transcranial focused ultrasound (FUS). Our studies identify shape as a design parameter in the MB landscape, and they provide a rational and robust framework for further exploring the application of anisotropic MB for ultrasound-enhanced drug delivery and imaging applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anshuman Dasgupta
- Institute for Experimental Molecular Imaging, Medical Faculty, Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen University, 52074Aachen, Germany
- John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA02138
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA02115
| | - Tao Sun
- John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA02138
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA02115
- Focused Ultrasound Laboratory, Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA02115
| | - Roberto Palomba
- Laboratory of Nanotechnology for Precision Medicine, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 16163Genova, Italy
| | - Elena Rama
- Institute for Experimental Molecular Imaging, Medical Faculty, Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen University, 52074Aachen, Germany
| | - Yongzhi Zhang
- Focused Ultrasound Laboratory, Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA02115
| | - Chanikarn Power
- Focused Ultrasound Laboratory, Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA02115
| | - Diana Moeckel
- Institute for Experimental Molecular Imaging, Medical Faculty, Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen University, 52074Aachen, Germany
| | - Mengjiao Liu
- Institute for Experimental Molecular Imaging, Medical Faculty, Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen University, 52074Aachen, Germany
| | - Apoorva Sarode
- John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA02138
| | - Marek Weiler
- Institute for Experimental Molecular Imaging, Medical Faculty, Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen University, 52074Aachen, Germany
| | - Alessandro Motta
- Institute for Experimental Molecular Imaging, Medical Faculty, Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen University, 52074Aachen, Germany
| | - Céline Porte
- Institute for Experimental Molecular Imaging, Medical Faculty, Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen University, 52074Aachen, Germany
| | - Zuzanna Magnuska
- Institute for Experimental Molecular Imaging, Medical Faculty, Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen University, 52074Aachen, Germany
| | - Asmaa Said Elshafei
- Institute for Experimental Molecular Imaging, Medical Faculty, Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen University, 52074Aachen, Germany
| | - Roman Barmin
- Institute for Experimental Molecular Imaging, Medical Faculty, Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen University, 52074Aachen, Germany
| | - Adam Graham
- John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA02138
| | - Arthur McClelland
- John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA02138
| | - Dirk Rommel
- DWI−Leibniz Institute for Interactive Materials, Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen University, 52074Aachen, Germany
- Institute of Technical and Macromolecular Chemistry, Polymeric Biomaterials, Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule University Aachen, 52074Aachen, Germany
| | - Elmar Stickeler
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical Faculty, Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen University, 52074Aachen, Germany
| | - Fabian Kiessling
- Institute for Experimental Molecular Imaging, Medical Faculty, Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen University, 52074Aachen, Germany
| | - Roger M. Pallares
- Institute for Experimental Molecular Imaging, Medical Faculty, Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen University, 52074Aachen, Germany
| | - Laura De Laporte
- DWI−Leibniz Institute for Interactive Materials, Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen University, 52074Aachen, Germany
- Institute of Technical and Macromolecular Chemistry, Polymeric Biomaterials, Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule University Aachen, 52074Aachen, Germany
- Advanced Materials for Biomedicine, Institute of Applied Medical Engineering, Medical Faculty, Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen University, 52074Aachen, Germany
| | - Paolo Decuzzi
- Laboratory of Nanotechnology for Precision Medicine, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 16163Genova, Italy
| | - Nathan McDannold
- Focused Ultrasound Laboratory, Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA02115
| | - Samir Mitragotri
- John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA02138
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA02115
| | - Twan Lammers
- Institute for Experimental Molecular Imaging, Medical Faculty, Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen University, 52074Aachen, Germany
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17
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Bourn MD, Mohajerani SZ, Mavria G, Ingram N, Coletta PL, Evans SD, Peyman SA. Tumour associated vasculature-on-a-chip for the evaluation of microbubble-mediated delivery of targeted liposomes. LAB ON A CHIP 2023; 23:1674-1693. [PMID: 36779251 PMCID: PMC10013341 DOI: 10.1039/d2lc00963c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2022] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The vascular system is the primary route for the delivery of therapeutic drugs throughout the body and is an important barrier at the region of disease interest, such as a solid tumour. The development of complex 3D tumour cultures has progressed significantly in recent years however, the generation of perfusable vascularised tumour models still presents many challenges. This study presents a microfluidic-based vasculature system that can be induced to display properties of tumour-associated blood vessels without direct incorporation of tumour cells. Conditioning healthy endothelial-fibroblast cell vasculature co-cultures with media taken from tumour cell cultures was found to result in the formation of disorganised, tortuous networks which display characteristics consistent with those of tumour-associated vasculature. Integrin αvβ3, a cell adhesion receptor associated with angiogenesis, was found to be upregulated in vasculature co-cultures conditioned with tumour cell media (TCM) - consistent with the reported αvβ3 expression pattern in angiogenic tumour vasculature in vivo. Increased accumulation of liposomes (LSs) conjugated to antibodies against αvβ3 was observed in TCM networks compared to non-conditioned networks, indicating αvβ3 may be a potential target for the delivery of drugs specifically to tumour vasculature. Furthermore, the use of microbubbles (MBs) and ultrasound (US) to further enhance the delivery of LSs to TCM-conditioned vasculature was investigated. Quantification of fluorescent LS accumulation post-perfusion of the vascular network showed 3-fold increased accumulation with the use of MBs and US, suggesting that targeted LS delivery could be further improved with the use of locally administered MBs and US.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew D Bourn
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK.
- Leeds Institute for Medical Research, Wellcome Trust Brenner Building, St James' University Hospital, Leeds, LS9 7TF, UK
| | - Safoura Zahed Mohajerani
- Leeds Institute for Medical Research, Wellcome Trust Brenner Building, St James' University Hospital, Leeds, LS9 7TF, UK
| | - Georgia Mavria
- Leeds Institute for Medical Research, Wellcome Trust Brenner Building, St James' University Hospital, Leeds, LS9 7TF, UK
| | - Nicola Ingram
- Leeds Institute for Medical Research, Wellcome Trust Brenner Building, St James' University Hospital, Leeds, LS9 7TF, UK
| | - P Louise Coletta
- Leeds Institute for Medical Research, Wellcome Trust Brenner Building, St James' University Hospital, Leeds, LS9 7TF, UK
| | - Stephen D Evans
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK.
| | - Sally A Peyman
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK.
- Leeds Institute for Medical Research, Wellcome Trust Brenner Building, St James' University Hospital, Leeds, LS9 7TF, UK
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18
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Leong K, Lao YH, Ji R, Zhou J, Snow K, Kwon N, Saville E, He S, Chauhan S, Chi CW, Datta M, Zhang H, Quek CH, Cai S, Li M, Gaitan Y, Bechtel L, Wu SY, Lutz C, Tomer R, Murray S, Chavez A, Konofagou E. Focused ultrasound-mediated brain genome editing. RESEARCH SQUARE 2023:rs.3.rs-2365576. [PMID: 36712096 PMCID: PMC9882596 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-2365576/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Gene editing in the mammalian brain has been challenging because of the restricted transport imposed by the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Current approaches rely on local injection to bypass the BBB. However, such administration is highly invasive and not amenable to treating certain delicate regions of the brain. We demonstrate a safe and effective gene editing technique by using focused ultrasound (FUS) to transiently open the BBB for the transport of intravenously delivered CRISPR/Cas9 machinery to the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Stephen Murray
- The Jackson Laboratory, 600 Main Street, Bar Harbor, Maine 04609
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19
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Batts AJ, Ji R, Noel RL, Kline-Schoder AR, Bae S, Kwon N, Konofagou EE. Using a novel rapid alternating steering angles pulse sequence to evaluate the impact of theranostic ultrasound-mediated ultra-short pulse length on blood-brain barrier opening volume and closure, cavitation mapping, drug delivery feasibility, and safety. Theranostics 2023; 13:1180-1197. [PMID: 36793858 PMCID: PMC9925313 DOI: 10.7150/thno.76199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2022] [Accepted: 10/08/2022] [Indexed: 02/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Focused ultrasound (FUS)-mediated blood-brain barrier (BBB) opening is a noninvasive, safe and reversible technique for targeted drug delivery to the brain. Most preclinical systems developed to perform and monitor BBB opening are comprised of a separate geometrically focused transducer and passive cavitation detector (PCD) or imaging array. This study builds upon previous work from our group developing a single imaging phased array configuration for simultaneous BBB opening and monitoring called theranostic ultrasound (ThUS), leveraging ultra-short pulse lengths (USPLs) and a novel rapid alternating steering angles (RASTA) pulse sequence design for simultaneous bilateral sonications with target-specific USPL. The RASTA sequence was further employed to evaluate the impact of USPL on BBB opening volume, power cavitation imaging (PCI) pixel intensity, BBB closing timeline, drug delivery efficiency, and safety. Methods: A P4-1 phased array transducer driven by a Verasonics Vantage ultrasound system was operated using a custom script to run the RASTA sequence which consisted of interleaved steered, focused transmits and passive imaging. Contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) confirmed initial opening volume and closure of the BBB by longitudinal imaging through 72 hours post-BBB opening. For drug delivery experiments, mice were systemically administered a 70 kDa fluorescent dextran or adeno-associated virus serotype 9 (AAV9) for fluorescence microscopy or enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to evaluate ThUS-mediated molecular therapeutic delivery. Additional brain sections were also H&E-stained to evaluate histological damage, and IBA1- and GFAP-stained to elucidate the effects of ThUS-mediated BBB opening on stimulation of key cell types involved in the neuro-immune response, microglia and astrocytes. Results: The ThUS RASTA sequence induced distinct BBB openings simultaneously in the same mouse where volume, PCI pixel intensity, level of dextran delivery, and AAV reporter transgene expression were correlated with brain hemisphere-specific USPL, consistent with statistically significant differences between 1.5, 5, and 10-cycle USPL groups. BBB closure after ThUS required 2-48 hours depending on USPL. The potential for acute damage and neuro-immune activation increased with USPL, but such observable damage was nearly reversed 96 hours post-ThUS. Conclusion: ThUS is a versatile single-array technique which exhibits the potential for investigating a variety of non-invasive therapeutic delivery applications in the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alec J Batts
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, USA
| | - Robin Ji
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, USA
| | - Rebecca L Noel
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, USA
| | | | - Sua Bae
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, USA
| | - Nancy Kwon
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, USA
| | - Elisa E Konofagou
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, USA.,Department of Radiology, Columbia University, New York, USA
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20
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Antoniou A, Giannakou M, Georgiou E, Kleopa KA, Damianou C. Robotic device for transcranial focussed ultrasound applications in small animal models. Int J Med Robot 2022; 18:e2447. [PMID: 35924335 PMCID: PMC9786580 DOI: 10.1002/rcs.2447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2022] [Revised: 07/22/2022] [Accepted: 07/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Focussed Ultrasound (FUS) combined with microbubbles (MBs) was proven a promising modality for non-invasive blood brain barrier disruption (BBBD). Herein, two devices for FUS-mediated BBBD in rodents are presented. METHODS A two-axes robotic device was manufactured for navigating a single element FUS transducer of 1 MHz relative to the brain of rodents. A second more compact device featuring a single motorized vertical axis was also developed. Their performance was assessed in terms of motion accuracy, MRI compatibility and trans-skull BBBD in wild type mice using MBs in synergy with pulsed FUS. RESULTS Successful BBBD was evidenced by the Evans Blue dye method, as well as by Fibronectin and Fibrinogen immunostaining. BBB permeability was enhanced when the applied acoustic intensity was increased. CONCLUSIONS The proposed devices constitute a cost-effective and ergonomic solution for FUS-mediated BBBD in small animal models. Further experimentation is needed to examine the repeatability of results and optimise the therapeutic protocol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasia Antoniou
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, and InformaticsCyprus University of TechnologyLimassolCyprus
| | | | - Elena Georgiou
- Department of NeuroscienceThe Cyprus Institute of Neurology and GeneticsNicosiaCyprus
| | - Kleopas A. Kleopa
- Department of NeuroscienceThe Cyprus Institute of Neurology and GeneticsNicosiaCyprus
| | - Christakis Damianou
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, and InformaticsCyprus University of TechnologyLimassolCyprus
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21
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Martinez P, Bottenus N, Borden M. Cavitation Characterization of Size-Isolated Microbubbles in a Vessel Phantom Using Focused Ultrasound. Pharmaceutics 2022; 14:pharmaceutics14091925. [PMID: 36145673 PMCID: PMC9501432 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14091925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2022] [Revised: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Pharmaceutical delivery can be noninvasively targeted on-demand by microbubble (MB) assisted focused ultrasound (FUS). Passive cavitation detection (PCD) has become a useful method to obtain real-time feedback on MB activity due to a FUS pulse. Previous work has demonstrated the acoustic PCD response of MBs at a variety of acoustic parameters, but few have explored variations in microbubble parameters. The goal of this study was to determine the acoustic response of different MB size populations and concentrations. Four MB size distributions were prepared (2, 3, 5 µm diameter and polydisperse) and pulled through a 2% agar wall-less vessel phantom. FUS was applied by a 1.515 MHz geometrically focused transducer for 1 ms pulses at 1 Hz PRF and seven distinct mechanical indices (MI) ranging from 0.01 to 1.0 (0.0123 to 1.23 MPa PNP). We found that the onset of harmonic (HCD) and broadband cavitation dose (BCD) depends on the mechanical index, MB size and MB concentration. When matched for MI, the HCD and BCD rise, plateau, and decline as microbubble concentration is increased. Importantly, when microbubble size and concentration are combined into gas volume fraction, all four microbubble size distributions align to similar onset and peak; these results may help guide the planning and control of MB + FUS therapeutic procedures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Payton Martinez
- Biomedical Engineering Program, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA; (P.M.); (N.B.)
- IQ Biology Program, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
| | - Nick Bottenus
- Biomedical Engineering Program, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA; (P.M.); (N.B.)
- Mechanical Engineering Department, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
| | - Mark Borden
- Biomedical Engineering Program, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA; (P.M.); (N.B.)
- Mechanical Engineering Department, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
- Correspondence:
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22
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Arsiwala TA, Sprowls SA, Blethen KE, Fladeland RA, Wolford CP, Kielkowski BN, Glass MJ, Wang P, Wilson O, Carpenter JS, Ranjan M, Finomore V, Rezai A, Lockman PR. Characterization of passive permeability after low intensity focused ultrasound mediated blood-brain barrier disruption in a preclinical model. Fluids Barriers CNS 2022; 19:72. [PMID: 36076213 PMCID: PMC9461249 DOI: 10.1186/s12987-022-00369-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Systemic drug delivery to the central nervous system is limited by presence of the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Low intensity focused ultrasound (LiFUS) is a non-invasive technique to disrupt the BBB, though there is a lack of understanding of the relationship between LiFUS parameters, such as cavitation dose, time of sonication, microbubble dose, and the time course and magnitude of BBB disruption. Discrepancies in these data arise from experimentation with modified, clinically untranslatable transducers and inconsistent parameters for sonication. In this report, we characterize microbubble and cavitation doses as LiFUS variables as they pertain to the time course and size of BBB opening with a clinical Insightec FUS system. METHODS Female Nu/Nu athymic mice were exposed to LiFUS using the ExAblate Neuro system (v7.4, Insightec, Haifa, Israel) following target verification with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Microbubble and cavitation doses ranged from 4-400 μL/kg, and 0.1-1.5 cavitation dose, respectively. The time course and magnitude of BBB opening was evaluated using fluorescent tracers, ranging in size from 105-10,000 Da, administered intravenously at different times pre- or post-LiFUS. Quantitative autoradiography and fluorescence microscopy were used to quantify tracer accumulation in brain. RESULTS We observed a microbubble and cavitation dose dependent increase in tracer uptake within brain after LiFUS. Tracer accumulation was size dependent, with 14C-AIB (100 Da) accumulating to a greater degree than larger markers (~ 625 Da-10 kDa). Our data suggest opening of the BBB via LiFUS is time dependent and biphasic. Accumulation of solutes was highest when administered prior to LiFUS mediated disruption (2-fivefold increases), but was also significantly elevated at 6 h post treatment for both 14C-AIB and Texas Red. CONCLUSION The magnitude of LiFUS mediated BBB opening correlates with concentration of microbubbles, cavitation dose as well as time of tracer administration post-sonication. These data help define the window of maximal BBB opening and applicable sonication parameters on a clinically translatable and commercially available FUS system that can be used to improve passive permeability and accumulation of therapeutics targeting the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tasneem A. Arsiwala
- grid.268154.c0000 0001 2156 6140Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, West Virginia University, HSC, Morgantown, 1 Medical Center Dr, Morgantown, WV 26506 USA
| | - Samuel A. Sprowls
- grid.268154.c0000 0001 2156 6140Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, West Virginia University, HSC, Morgantown, 1 Medical Center Dr, Morgantown, WV 26506 USA ,grid.239578.20000 0001 0675 4725Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44106 USA
| | - Kathryn E. Blethen
- grid.268154.c0000 0001 2156 6140Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, West Virginia University, HSC, Morgantown, 1 Medical Center Dr, Morgantown, WV 26506 USA
| | - Ross A. Fladeland
- grid.268154.c0000 0001 2156 6140Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, West Virginia University, HSC, Morgantown, 1 Medical Center Dr, Morgantown, WV 26506 USA
| | - Cullen P. Wolford
- grid.268154.c0000 0001 2156 6140Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, West Virginia University, HSC, Morgantown, 1 Medical Center Dr, Morgantown, WV 26506 USA
| | - Brooke N. Kielkowski
- grid.268154.c0000 0001 2156 6140Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, West Virginia University, HSC, Morgantown, 1 Medical Center Dr, Morgantown, WV 26506 USA
| | - Morgan J. Glass
- grid.268154.c0000 0001 2156 6140Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, West Virginia University, HSC, Morgantown, 1 Medical Center Dr, Morgantown, WV 26506 USA
| | - Peng Wang
- grid.268154.c0000 0001 2156 6140Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, West Virginia University, 1 Medical Center Dr, Morgantown, WV 26505 USA
| | - Olivia Wilson
- grid.268154.c0000 0001 2156 6140Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, West Virginia University, 1 Medical Center Dr, Morgantown, WV 26505 USA
| | - Jeffrey S. Carpenter
- grid.268154.c0000 0001 2156 6140Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, West Virginia University, 1 Medical Center Dr, Morgantown, WV 26505 USA ,grid.268154.c0000 0001 2156 6140Departments of Neuroscience, Neuroradiology, and Neurosurgery, West Virginia University, 1 Medical Center Dr, Morgantown, WV 26505 USA
| | - Manish Ranjan
- grid.268154.c0000 0001 2156 6140Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, West Virginia University, 1 Medical Center Dr, Morgantown, WV 26505 USA ,grid.268154.c0000 0001 2156 6140Departments of Neuroscience, Neuroradiology, and Neurosurgery, West Virginia University, 1 Medical Center Dr, Morgantown, WV 26505 USA
| | - Victor Finomore
- grid.268154.c0000 0001 2156 6140Departments of Neuroscience, Neuroradiology, and Neurosurgery, West Virginia University, 1 Medical Center Dr, Morgantown, WV 26505 USA
| | - Ali Rezai
- grid.268154.c0000 0001 2156 6140Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, West Virginia University, 1 Medical Center Dr, Morgantown, WV 26505 USA ,grid.268154.c0000 0001 2156 6140Departments of Neuroscience, Neuroradiology, and Neurosurgery, West Virginia University, 1 Medical Center Dr, Morgantown, WV 26505 USA
| | - Paul R. Lockman
- grid.268154.c0000 0001 2156 6140Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, West Virginia University, HSC, Morgantown, 1 Medical Center Dr, Morgantown, WV 26506 USA ,grid.268154.c0000 0001 2156 6140Departments of Neuroscience, Neuroradiology, and Neurosurgery, West Virginia University, 1 Medical Center Dr, Morgantown, WV 26505 USA
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23
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Translation of focused ultrasound for blood-brain barrier opening in glioma. J Control Release 2022; 345:443-463. [PMID: 35337938 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2022.03.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2022] [Revised: 03/16/2022] [Accepted: 03/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Survival outcomes for patients with glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) have remained poor for the past 15 years, reflecting a clear challenge in the development of more effective treatment strategies. The efficacy of systemic therapies for GBM is greatly limited by the presence of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), which prevents drug penetration and accumulation in regions of infiltrative tumour, as represented in a consistent portion of GBM lesions. Focused ultrasound (FUS) - a technique that uses low-frequency ultrasound waves to induce targeted temporary disruption of the BBB - promises to improve survival outcomes by enhancing drug delivery and accumulation to infiltrating tumour regions. In this review we discuss the current state of preclinical investigations using FUS to enhance delivery of systemic therapies to intracranial neoplasms. We highlight critical methodological inconsistencies that are hampering clinical translation of FUS and we provide guiding principles for future preclinical studies. Particularly, we focus our attention on the importance of the selection of clinically relevant animal models and to the standardization of methods for FUS delivery, which will be paramount to the successful clinical translation of this promising technology for treatment in GBM patients. We also discuss how preclinical FUS research can benefit the development of GBM immunotherapies.
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24
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Wasielewska JM, White AR. "Focused Ultrasound-mediated Drug Delivery in Humans - a Path Towards Translation in Neurodegenerative Diseases". Pharm Res 2022; 39:427-439. [PMID: 35257286 PMCID: PMC8986691 DOI: 10.1007/s11095-022-03185-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2021] [Accepted: 01/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
The blood-brain barrier (BBB) has a major protective function in preventing the entry of harmful molecules into the brain, but is simultaneously limiting the delivery of drugs, restricting their potential clinical application in neurodegenerative diseases. Recent preclinical evidence demonstrates that following application of focused ultrasound with microbubbles (FUS+MB), the BBB becomes reversibly accessible to compounds that normally are brain-impermeable, suggesting FUS+MB as a promising new platform for delivery of therapeutic agents into the central nervous system. As a step towards translation, small cohort clinical studies were performed demonstrating safe BBB opening in Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients following FUS+MB, however improved drug delivery has not yet been achieved in human. Simultaneously, rapid progress in the human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) modeling technology allowed for development of novel Alzheimer's disease patient-derived BBB in vitro model that reacts to FUS+MB with BBB opening and can be used to answer fundamental questions of human BBB responses to FUS+MB in health and disease. This review summarizes key features of the BBB that contribute to limited drug delivery, recapitulates recent advances in the FUS+MB mediated human BBB opening in vivo and in vitro in the context of neurodegenerative disorders, and highlights potential strategies for fast-track translation of the FUS+MB to improve bioavailability of drugs to the human brain. With safe and effective application, this innovative FUS+MB technology may open new avenues for therapeutic interventions in neurodegenerative diseases leading to improved clinical outcomes for patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna M Wasielewska
- Cell & Molecular Biology Department, Mental Health Program, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
- Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
| | - Anthony R White
- Cell & Molecular Biology Department, Mental Health Program, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- School of Biomedical Sciences Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
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25
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Evaluation of Liposome-Loaded Microbubbles as a Theranostic Tool in a Murine Collagen-Induced Arthritis Model. Sci Pharm 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/scipharm90010017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease characterized by severe inflammation of the synovial tissue. Here, we assess the feasibility of liposome-loaded microbubbles as theranostic agents in a murine arthritis model. First, contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) was used to quantify neovascularization in this model since CEUS is well-established for RA diagnosis in humans. Next, the potential of liposome-loaded microbubbles and ultrasound (US) to selectively enhance liposome delivery to the synovium was evaluated with in vivo fluorescence imaging. This procedure is made very challenging by the presence of hard joints and by the limited lifetime of the microbubbles. The inflamed knee joints were exposed to therapeutic US after intravenous injection of liposome-loaded microbubbles. Loaded microbubbles were found to be quickly captured by the liver. This resulted in fast clearance of attached liposomes while free and long-circulating liposomes were able to accumulate over time in the inflamed joints. Our observations show that murine arthritis models are not well-suited for evaluating the potential of microbubble-mediated drug delivery in joints given: (i) restricted microbubble passage in murine synovial vasculature and (ii) limited control over the exact ultrasound conditions in situ given the much shorter length scale of the murine joints as compared to the therapeutic wavelength.
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26
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Librizzi L, Uva L, Raspagliesi L, Gionso M, Regondi MC, Durando G, DiMeco F, de Curtis M, Prada F. Ultrasounds induce blood–brain barrier opening across a sonolucent polyolefin plate in an in vitro isolated brain preparation. Sci Rep 2022; 12:2906. [PMID: 35190597 PMCID: PMC8861168 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-06791-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2021] [Accepted: 02/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The blood–brain barrier (BBB) represents a major obstacle to the delivery of drugs to the central nervous system. The combined use of low-intensity pulsed ultrasound waves and intravascular microbubbles (MB) represents a promising solution to this issue, allowing reversible disruption of the barrier. In this study, we evaluate the feasibility of BBB opening through a biocompatible, polyolefin-based plate in an in vitro whole brain model. Twelve in vitro guinea pig brains were employed; brains were insonated using a planar transducer with or without interposing the polyolefin plate during arterial infusion of MB. Circulating MBs were visualized with an ultrasonographic device with a linear probe. BBB permeabilization was assessed by quantifying at confocal microscopy the extravasation of FITC-albumin perfused after each treatment. US-treated brains displayed BBB permeabilization exclusively in the volume under the US beam; no significant differences were observed between brains insonated with or without the polyolefin plate. Control brains not perfused with MB did not show signs of FITC-albumin extravasation. Our preclinical study suggests that polyolefin cranial plate could be implanted as a skull replacement to maintain craniotomic windows and perform post-surgical repeated BBB opening with ultrasound guidance to deliver therapeutic agents to the central nervous system.
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27
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Thombre R, Mess G, Kempski Leadingham KM, Kapoor S, Hersh A, Acord M, Kaovasia T, Theodore N, Tyler B, Manbachi A. Towards standardization of the parameters for opening the blood-brain barrier with focused ultrasound to treat glioblastoma multiforme: A systematic review of the devices, animal models, and therapeutic compounds used in rodent tumor models. Front Oncol 2022; 12:1072780. [PMID: 36873300 PMCID: PMC9978816 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.1072780] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2022] [Accepted: 12/20/2022] [Indexed: 02/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is a deadly and aggressive malignant brain cancer that is highly resistant to treatments. A particular challenge of treatment is caused by the blood-brain barrier (BBB), the relatively impermeable vasculature of the brain. The BBB prevents large molecules from entering the brain parenchyma. This protective characteristic of the BBB, however, also limits the delivery of therapeutic drugs for the treatment of brain tumors. To address this limitation, focused ultrasound (FUS) has been safely utilized to create transient openings in the BBB, allowing various high molecular weight drugs access to the brain. We performed a systematic review summarizing current research on treatment of GBMs using FUS-mediated BBB openings in in vivo mouse and rat models. The studies gathered here highlight how the treatment paradigm can allow for increased brain and tumor perfusion of drugs including chemotherapeutics, immunotherapeutics, gene therapeutics, nanoparticles, and more. Given the promising results detailed here, the aim of this review is to detail the commonly used parameters for FUS to open the BBB in rodent GBM models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rasika Thombre
- Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States.,HEPIUS Innovation Laboratory, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Griffin Mess
- Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States.,HEPIUS Innovation Laboratory, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Kelley M Kempski Leadingham
- Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States.,HEPIUS Innovation Laboratory, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Shivani Kapoor
- Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States.,HEPIUS Innovation Laboratory, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Andrew Hersh
- Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States.,HEPIUS Innovation Laboratory, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Molly Acord
- Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States.,HEPIUS Innovation Laboratory, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Tarana Kaovasia
- Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States.,HEPIUS Innovation Laboratory, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Nicholas Theodore
- Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States.,HEPIUS Innovation Laboratory, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Betty Tyler
- Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Amir Manbachi
- Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States.,HEPIUS Innovation Laboratory, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States.,Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States.,Department of Mechanical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States.,Department of Anesthesiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
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28
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Abstract
The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is the major barrier for brain drug delivery and limits the treatment options for central nervous system diseases. To circumvent the BBB, we introduced the focused ultrasound-mediated intranasal brain drug delivery (FUSIN) technique. FUSIN utilizes the nasal route for direct nose-to-brain drug administration, bypassing the BBB and minimizing systemic exposure. It also uses the transcranial application of ultrasound energy focused at a targeted brain region to induce microbubble cavitation, which enhances the transport of intranasally administered agents at the FUS-targeted brain location. FUSIN is unique in that it can achieve noninvasive and localized brain drug delivery with minimized systemic toxicity. The goal of this chapter is to provide a detailed protocol for FUSIN delivery to the mouse brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dezhuang Ye
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, Saint Louis, MO, USA
| | - Hong Chen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, Saint Louis, MO, USA.
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA.
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29
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Schoen S, Kilinc MS, Lee H, Guo Y, Degertekin FL, Woodworth GF, Arvanitis C. Towards controlled drug delivery in brain tumors with microbubble-enhanced focused ultrasound. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2022; 180:114043. [PMID: 34801617 PMCID: PMC8724442 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2021.114043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2021] [Revised: 09/27/2021] [Accepted: 11/04/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Brain tumors are particularly challenging malignancies, due to their location in a structurally and functionally distinct part of the human body - the central nervous system (CNS). The CNS is separated and protected by a unique system of brain and blood vessel cells which together prevent most bloodborne therapeutics from entering the brain tumor microenvironment (TME). Recently, great strides have been made through microbubble (MB) ultrasound contrast agents in conjunction with ultrasound energy to locally increase the permeability of brain vessels and modulate the brain TME. As we elaborate in this review, this physical method can effectively deliver a wide range of anticancer agents, including chemotherapeutics, antibodies, and nanoparticle drug conjugates across a range of preclinical brain tumors, including high grade glioma (glioblastoma), diffuse intrinsic pontine gliomas, and brain metastasis. Moreover, recent evidence suggests that this technology can promote the effective delivery of novel immunotherapeutic agents, including immune check-point inhibitors and chimeric antigen receptor T cells, among others. With early clinical studies demonstrating safety, and several Phase I/II trials testing the preclinical findings underway, this technology is making firm steps towards shaping the future treatments of primary and metastatic brain cancer. By elaborating on its key components, including ultrasound systems and MB technology, along with methods for closed-loop spatial and temporal control of MB activity, we highlight how this technology can be tuned to enable new, personalized treatment strategies for primary brain malignancies and brain metastases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott Schoen
- Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - M. Sait Kilinc
- School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Hohyun Lee
- Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Yutong Guo
- Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - F. Levent Degertekin
- Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Graeme F. Woodworth
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA,Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, College Park, MD 20742, USA,Fischell Department of Bioengineering A. James Clarke School of Engineering, University of Maryland
| | - Costas Arvanitis
- Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA,Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
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30
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Abstract
Glioblastoma is one of the deadliest forms of primary adult tumors, with median survival of 14.6 months post-diagnosis despite aggressive standard of care treatment. This grim prognosis for glioblastoma patients has changed little in the past two decades, necessitating novel treatment modalities. One potential treatment modality is cancer immunotherapy, which has shown remarkable progress in slowing disease progression or even potentially curing certain solid tumors. However, the transport barriers posed by the blood-brain barrier and the immune privileged status of the central nervous system pose drug delivery obstacles that are unique to brain tumors. In this review, we provide an overview of the various physiological, immunological, and drug delivery barriers that must be overcome for effective glioblastoma treatment. We discuss chemical modification strategies to enable nanomedicines to bypass the blood-brain barrier and reach intracranial tumors. Finally, we highlight recent advances in biomaterial-based strategies for cancer immunotherapy that can be adapted to glioblastoma treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Rui
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, the Institute for Nanobiotechnology and the Translational Tissue Engineering Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jordan J Green
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, the Institute for Nanobiotechnology and the Translational Tissue Engineering Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
- Departments of Neurosurgery, Ophthalmology and Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
- Departments of Materials Science & Engineering and Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
- Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Bloomberg~Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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31
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Batts A, Ji R, Kline-Schoder A, Noel R, Konofagou E. Transcranial Theranostic Ultrasound for Pre-Planning and Blood-Brain Barrier Opening: A Feasibility Study Using an Imaging Phased Array In Vitro and In Vivo. IEEE Trans Biomed Eng 2021; 69:1481-1490. [PMID: 34665716 DOI: 10.1109/tbme.2021.3120919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Focused ultrasound (FUS) for blood-brain barrier (BBB) opening is a safe, reversible and non-invasive strategy for targeted drug delivery to the brain, however extensive pre-planning strategies are necessary for successful FUS-mediated BBB opening through the structurally complex primate skull. OBJECTIVE This work aims to demonstrate a pre-planning pipeline consisting of transcranial simulations and in vitro experimentation used to inform synchronous BBB opening and power cavitation imaging (PCI) with a single theranostic ultrasound (TUS) phased array. METHODS Acoustic wave propagation simulation readouts of pressure attenuation and focal shift through clinical-CT and micro-CT-based primate skull models were compared, while the latter were used to determine the impact of beam steering angle on focal shift and pressure attenuation. In vitro experimentation with a channel phantom enabled characterization of skull-induced receive focal shift (RFS), while in vivo BBB opening and PCI using in silico and in vitro pre-planning information was conducted using a custom Verasonics/MATLAB script. RESULTS Simulations confirmed steering angle dependent transcranial focal shift and pressure attenuation, while in vitro experiments revealed minimal (0.30-1.50 mm) skull-induced RFS. In vivo rodent experiments with overlaid primate skull fragments demonstrated successful TUS-mediated BBB opening and spatially correlated power cavitation images (PCI) with regions of BBB opening on T1-weighted magnetic resonance images (MRI). CONCLUSION Herein, we demonstrate the feasibility for TUS-mediated BBB opening in vivo using in silico and in vitro pre-planning information. SIGNIFICANCE TUS as an ultrasound-guided modality for BBB opening could be a promising alternative to current FUS-mediated BBB opening configurations in the clinic.
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32
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Ji R, Karakatsani ME, Burgess M, Smith M, Murillo MF, Konofagou EE. Cavitation-modulated inflammatory response following focused ultrasound blood-brain barrier opening. J Control Release 2021; 337:458-471. [PMID: 34324895 PMCID: PMC8440441 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2021.07.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2020] [Revised: 07/21/2021] [Accepted: 07/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Focused ultrasound (FUS) in combination with systemically injected microbubbles can be used to non-invasively open the blood-brain barrier (BBB) in targeted regions for a variety of therapeutic applications. Over the past two decades, preclinical research into the safety and efficacy of FUS-induced BBB opening has proven this technique to be transient and efficacious, propelling FUS-induced BBB opening into several clinical trials in recent years. However, as clinical trials further progress, the neuroinflammatory response to FUS-induced BBB opening needs to be better understood. In this study, we provide further insight into the relationship of microbubble cavitation and the resulting innate immune response to FUS-induced BBB opening. By keeping ultrasound parameters fixed (i.e. frequency, pressure, pulse length, etc.), three groups of mice were sonicated using a real-time cavitation controller until a target cavitation dose was reached (1 x 107 V2•s, 5 x 107 V2•s, 1 x 108 V2•s). The change in relative gene expression of the mouse inflammatory cytokines and receptors were evaluated at three different time-points (6 h, 24 h, and 72 h) after FUS. At both 6 and 24 h time-points, significant changes in relative gene expression of inflammatory cytokines and receptors were observed across all cavitation groups. However, the degree of changes in relative expression levels and the number of genes with significant changes in expression varied across the cavitation groups. Groups with a higher cavitation dose exhibited both greater changes in relative expression levels and greater number of significant changes. By 72 h post-opening, the gene expression levels returned to baseline in all cavitation dose groups, signifying a transient inflammatory response to FUS-induced BBB opening at the targeted cavitation dose levels. Furthermore, the real-time cavitation controller was able to produce consistent and significantly different BBB permeability enhancement volumes across the three different cavitation dose groups. These results indicate that cavitation monitoring and controlling during FUS-induced BBB opening can be used to potentially modulate or limit the degree of neuroinflammation, further emphasizing the importance of implementing cavitation controllers as FUS-induced BBB opening is translated into the clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robin Ji
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Maria E Karakatsani
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Mark Burgess
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Morgan Smith
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Maria F Murillo
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Elisa E Konofagou
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Department of Radiology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
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33
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Ye D, Chen H. Focused ultrasound-mediated intranasal brain drug delivery technique (FUSIN). MethodsX 2021; 8:101266. [PMID: 34434788 PMCID: PMC8374263 DOI: 10.1016/j.mex.2021.101266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2020] [Accepted: 02/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is the major obstacle for brain drug delivery and limits the treatment options for central nervous system diseases. To circumvent the BBB, we introduce focused ultrasound-mediated intranasal brain drug delivery (FUSIN). FUSIN utilizes the nasal route for direct nose-to-brain drug administration, bypassing the BBB and minimizing systemic exposure to the major organs, such as heart, lung, liver, and kidney [1]. It also uses transcranial ultrasound energy focused at a targeted brain region to induce microbubble cavitation, enhancing the transport of intranasally administered agents at the FUS-targeted brain location. FUSIN is unique because it can achieve noninvasive and localized brain drug delivery with minimized systemic toxicity to other major organs. The goal of this paper is to provide a detailed protocol for FUSIN delivery to the mouse brain.FUSIN delivery utilizes the nose-to-brain pathway for brain drug delivery. FUSIN utilizes FUS combined with microbubble to significantly enhance the delivery efficiency of intranasally administered drugs to the FUS targeted brain regions. FUSIN achieves efficient brain delivery with minimized systemic exposure in the major organs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dezhuang Ye
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and Material Science, Washington University in St. Louis, Saint Louis, MO 63130, United States
| | - Hong Chen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, Saint Louis, MO 63130, United States.,Department of Radiation Oncology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO 63108, United States
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34
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Olsman M, Mühlenpfordt M, Olsen EB, Torp SH, Kotopoulis S, Rijcken CJF, Hu Q, Thewissen M, Snipstad S, de Lange Davies C. Acoustic Cluster Therapy (ACT®) enhances accumulation of polymeric micelles in the murine brain. J Control Release 2021; 337:285-295. [PMID: 34274386 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2021.07.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2021] [Revised: 06/22/2021] [Accepted: 07/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The restrictive nature of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) prevents efficient treatment of many brain diseases. Focused ultrasound in combination with microbubbles has shown to safely and transiently increase BBB permeability. Here, the potential of Acoustic Cluster Therapy (ACT®), a microbubble platform specifically engineered for theranostic purposes, to increase the permeability of the BBB and improve accumulation of IRDye® 800CW-PEG and core-crosslinked polymeric micelles (CCPM) in the murine brain, was studied. Contrast enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed increased BBB permeability in all animals after ACT®. Near infrared fluorescence (NIRF) images of excised brains 1 h post ACT® revealed an increased accumulation of the IRDye® 800CW-PEG (5.2-fold) and CCPM (3.7-fold) in ACT®-treated brains compared to control brains, which was retained up to 24 h post ACT®. Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) showed improved extravasation and penetration of CCPM into the brain parenchyma after ACT®. Histological examination of brain sections showed no treatment related tissue damage. This study demonstrated that ACT® increases the permeability of the BBB and enhances accumulation of macromolecules and clinically relevant nanoparticles to the brain, taking a principal step in enabling improved treatment of various brain diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marieke Olsman
- Department of Physics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Melina Mühlenpfordt
- Department of Physics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.
| | - Emma Bøe Olsen
- Department of Physics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Sverre H Torp
- Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway; Department of Pathology, St. Olavs Hospital, Trondheim University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Spiros Kotopoulis
- National Centre for Ultrasound in Gastroenterology, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway; Exact Therapeutics, Oslo, Norway
| | | | - Qizhi Hu
- Cristal Therapeutics, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | | | - Sofie Snipstad
- Department of Physics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway; Cancer Clinic, St. Olavs Hospital, Trondheim, Norway
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35
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Anderson CD, Walton CB, Shohet RV. A Comparison of Focused and Unfocused Ultrasound for Microbubble-Mediated Gene Delivery. ULTRASOUND IN MEDICINE & BIOLOGY 2021; 47:1785-1800. [PMID: 33812691 PMCID: PMC8169610 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2021.02.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2020] [Revised: 12/23/2020] [Accepted: 02/19/2021] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
We compared focused and unfocused ultrasound-targeted microbubble destruction (UTMD) for delivery of reporter plasmids to the liver and heart in mice. Optimal hepatic expression was seen with double-depth targeting at 5 and 13 mm in vivo, incorporating a low pulse repetition frequency and short pulse duration. Reporter expression was similar, but the transfection patterns were distinct, with intense foci of transfection using focused UTMD (F-UTMD). We then compared both approaches for cardiac delivery and found 10-fold stronger levels of reporter expression for F-UTMD and observed small areas of intense luciferase expression in the left ventricle. Non-linear contrast imaging of the liver before and after insonation also showed a substantially greater change in signal intensity for F-UTMD, suggesting distinct cavitation mechanisms for both approaches. Overall, similar levels of hepatic transgene expression were observed, but cardiac-directed F-UTMD was substantially more effective. Focused ultrasound presents a new frontier in UTMD-directed gene therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cynthia D Anderson
- Department of Medicine, John A. Burns School of Medicine, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
| | - Chad B Walton
- University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
| | - Ralph V Shohet
- Department of Medicine, John A. Burns School of Medicine, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA.
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36
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Yamaguchi K, Matsumoto Y, Suzuki R, Nishida H, Omata D, Inaba H, Kukita A, Tanikawa M, Sone K, Oda K, Osuga Y, Maruyama K, Fujii T. Enhanced antitumor activity of combined lipid bubble ultrasound and anticancer drugs in gynecological cervical cancers. Cancer Sci 2021; 112:2493-2503. [PMID: 33793049 PMCID: PMC8177762 DOI: 10.1111/cas.14907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2020] [Revised: 03/24/2021] [Accepted: 03/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Chemotherapy plays an important role in the treatment of patients with gynecological cancers. Delivering anticancer drugs effectively to tumor cells with just few side effects is key in cancer treatment. Lipid bubbles (LB) are compounds that increase the vascular permeability of the tumor under diagnostic ultrasound (US) exposure and enable the effective transport of drugs to tumor cells. The aim of our study was to establish a novel drug delivery technique for chemotherapy and to identify the most effective anticancer drugs for the bubble US‐mediated drug delivery system (BUS‐DDS) in gynecological cancer treatments. We constructed xenograft models using cervical cancer (HeLa) and uterine endometrial cancer (HEC1B) cell lines. Lipid bubbles were injected i.v., combined with either cisplatin (CDDP), pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (PLD), or bevacizumab, and US was applied to the tumor. We compared the enhanced chemotherapeutic effects of these drugs and determined the optimal drugs for BUS‐DDS. Tumor volume reduction of HeLa and HEC1B xenografts following cisplatin treatment was significantly enhanced by BUS‐DDS. Both CDDP and PLD significantly enhanced the antitumor effects of BUS‐DDS in HeLa tumors; however, volume reduction by BUS‐DDS was insignificant when combined with bevacizumab, a humanized anti‐vascular endothelial growth factor mAb. The BUS‐DDS did not cause any severe adverse events and significantly enhanced the antitumor effects of cytotoxic drugs. The effects of bevacizumab, which were not as dose‐dependent as those of the two drugs used prior, were minimal. Our data suggest that BUS‐DDS technology might help achieve “reinforced targeting” in the treatment of gynecological cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kohei Yamaguchi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yoko Matsumoto
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tokyo Metropolitan Bokutoh Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Ryo Suzuki
- Laboratory of Drug and Gene Delivery Research, Faculty of Pharma-Science, Teikyo University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Haruka Nishida
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Daiki Omata
- Laboratory of Drug and Gene Delivery Research, Faculty of Pharma-Science, Teikyo University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hirofumi Inaba
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Asako Kukita
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Michihiro Tanikawa
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kenbun Sone
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Katsutoshi Oda
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.,Division of Interactive Genomics, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yutaka Osuga
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kazuo Maruyama
- Laboratory of Theranostics, Faculty of Pharma-Science, Teikyo University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tomoyuki Fujii
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
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37
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Vince O, Peeters S, Johanssen VA, Gray M, Smart S, Sibson NR, Stride E. Microbubbles Containing Lysolipid Enhance Ultrasound-Mediated Blood-Brain Barrier Breakdown In Vivo. Adv Healthc Mater 2021; 10:e2001343. [PMID: 33191662 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202001343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2020] [Revised: 10/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Ultrasound and microbubbles (MBs) offer a noninvasive method of temporarily enhancing blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability to therapeutics. To reduce off-target effects, it is desirable to minimize the ultrasound pressures required. It has been shown that a new formulation of MBs containing lysolipids (Lyso-MBs) can increase the cellular uptake of a model drug in vitro. The aim of this study is to investigate whether Lyso-MBs can also enhance BBB permeability in vivo. Female BALB/c mice are injected with either Lyso-MBs or control MBs and gadolinium-DTPA (Gd-DTPA) and exposed to ultrasound (500 kHz, 1 Hz pulse repetition frequency, 1 ms pulse length, peak-negative pressures 160-480 kPa) for 2 min. BBB permeabilization is measured via magnetic resonance imaging (7.0 T) of Gd-DTPA extravasation and subsequent histological examination of brain tissue to assess serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) extravasation (n = 8 per group). An approximately twofold enhancement in BBB permeability is produced by the Lyso-MBs at the highest ultrasound pressure compared with the control. These findings indicate that modifying the composition of phospholipid-shelled MBs has the potential to improve the efficiency of BBB opening, without increasing the ultrasound pressure amplitude required. This is particularly relevant for delivery of therapeutics deep within the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver Vince
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7DQ, UK
| | - Sarah Peeters
- Medical Research Council Institute for Radiation Oncology, Department of Oncology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7DQ, UK
| | - Vanessa A Johanssen
- Medical Research Council Institute for Radiation Oncology, Department of Oncology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7DQ, UK
| | - Michael Gray
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7DQ, UK
| | - Sean Smart
- Medical Research Council Institute for Radiation Oncology, Department of Oncology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7DQ, UK
| | - Nicola R Sibson
- Medical Research Council Institute for Radiation Oncology, Department of Oncology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7DQ, UK
| | - Eleanor Stride
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7DQ, UK
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38
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McMahon D, Lassus A, Gaud E, Jeannot V, Hynynen K. Microbubble formulation influences inflammatory response to focused ultrasound exposure in the brain. Sci Rep 2020; 10:21534. [PMID: 33299094 PMCID: PMC7725832 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-78657-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2020] [Accepted: 11/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Focused ultrasound and microbubble (FUS + MB)-mediated blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability enhancement can facilitate targeted brain-drug delivery. While controlling the magnitude of BBB permeability enhancement is necessary to limit tissue damage, little work has attempted to decouple these concepts. This work investigated the relationship between BBB permeability enhancement and the relative transcription of inflammatory mediators 4 h following sonication. Three microbubble formulations, Definity, BG8774, and MSB4, were compared, with the dose of each formulation normalized to gas volume. While changes in the transcription of key proinflammatory mediators, such as Il1b, Ccl2, and Tnf, were correlated to the magnitude of BBB permeability enhancement, these correlations were not independent of microbubble formulation; microbubble size distribution may play an important role, as linear regression analyses of BBB permeability magnitude versus differential gene expression for these proinflammatory mediators revealed significantly greater slopes for MSB4, a monodisperse microbubble with mean diameter of 4 μm, compared to Definity or BG8774, both polydisperse microbubbles with mean diameters below 2 μm. Additionally, the function of an acoustic feedback control algorithm, based on the detection threshold of ultraharmonic emissions, was assessed. While this control strategy was effective in limiting both wideband emissions and red blood cell extravasation, microbubble formulation was found to influence the magnitude of BBB leakage and correlations to acoustic emissions. This work demonstrates that while the initial magnitude of FUS + MB-mediated BBB permeability enhancement has a clear influence on the subsequent inflammatory responses, microbubble characteristics influence these relationships and must also be considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dallan McMahon
- Physical Science Platform, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, Canada.
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
| | - Anne Lassus
- Bracco Suisse S.A., Plan-les-Ouates, Switzerland
| | | | | | - Kullervo Hynynen
- Physical Science Platform, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
- Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
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39
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Lapin NA, Gill K, Shah BR, Chopra R. Consistent opening of the blood brain barrier using focused ultrasound with constant intravenous infusion of microbubble agent. Sci Rep 2020; 10:16546. [PMID: 33024157 PMCID: PMC7538995 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-73312-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2020] [Accepted: 09/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
The blood brain barrier (BBB) is a major obstacle to the delivery of therapeutics to the brain. Focused ultrasound (FUS) in combination with microbubbles can non-invasively open the BBB in a targeted manner. Bolus intravenous injections of microbubbles are standard practice, but dynamic influx and clearance mechanisms prevent delivery of a uniform dose with time. When multiple targets are selected for sonication in a single treatment, uniform serum concentrations of microbubbles are important for consistent BBB opening. Herein, we show that bubble infusions were able to achieve consistent BBB opening at multiple target sites. FUS exposures were conducted with different Definity microbubble concentrations at various acoustic pressures. To quantify the effects of infusion on BBB opening, we calculated the MRI contrast enhancement rate. When infusions were performed at rates of 7.2 µl microbubbles/kg/min or below, we were able to obtain consistent BBB opening without injury at all pressures. However, when infusion rates exceeded 20 µl/kg/min, signs of injury occurred at pressures from 0.39 to 0.56 MPa. When compared to bolus injections, a bubble infusion offers a more controlled and consistent approach to multi-target BBB disruption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Norman A Lapin
- Focused Ultrasound Laboratory, Department of Radiology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA
| | - Kirt Gill
- Focused Ultrasound Laboratory, Department of Radiology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA
| | - Bhavya R Shah
- Focused Ultrasound Laboratory, Department of Radiology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA.,Department of Neurosurgery, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA.,Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA.,Advanced Imaging Research Center, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA
| | - Rajiv Chopra
- Focused Ultrasound Laboratory, Department of Radiology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA. .,Advanced Imaging Research Center, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA.
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40
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Wang JB, Di Ianni T, Vyas DB, Huang Z, Park S, Hosseini-Nassab N, Aryal M, Airan RD. Focused Ultrasound for Noninvasive, Focal Pharmacologic Neurointervention. Front Neurosci 2020; 14:675. [PMID: 32760238 PMCID: PMC7372945 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2020.00675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2019] [Accepted: 06/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
A long-standing goal of translational neuroscience is the ability to noninvasively deliver therapeutic agents to specific brain regions with high spatiotemporal resolution. Focused ultrasound (FUS) is an emerging technology that can noninvasively deliver energy up the order of 1 kW/cm2 with millimeter and millisecond resolution to any point in the human brain with Food and Drug Administration-approved hardware. Although FUS is clinically utilized primarily for focal ablation in conditions such as essential tremor, recent breakthroughs have enabled the use of FUS for drug delivery at lower intensities (i.e., tens of watts per square centimeter) without ablation of the tissue. In this review, we present strategies for image-guided FUS-mediated pharmacologic neurointerventions. First, we discuss blood–brain barrier opening to deliver therapeutic agents of a variety of sizes to the central nervous system. We then describe the use of ultrasound-sensitive nanoparticles to noninvasively deliver small molecules to millimeter-sized structures including superficial cortical regions and deep gray matter regions within the brain without the need for blood–brain barrier opening. We also consider the safety and potential complications of these techniques, with attention to temporal acuity. Finally, we close with a discussion of different methods for mapping the ultrasound field within the brain and describe future avenues of research in ultrasound-targeted drug therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey B Wang
- Neuroradiology Division, Department of Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Tommaso Di Ianni
- Neuroradiology Division, Department of Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Daivik B Vyas
- Neuroradiology Division, Department of Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Zhenbo Huang
- Neuroradiology Division, Department of Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Sunmee Park
- Neuroradiology Division, Department of Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Niloufar Hosseini-Nassab
- Neuroradiology Division, Department of Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Muna Aryal
- Neuroradiology Division, Department of Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Raag D Airan
- Neuroradiology Division, Department of Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
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41
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Pouliopoulos AN, Jimenez DA, Frank A, Robertson A, Zhang L, Kline-Schoder AR, Bhaskar V, Harpale M, Caso E, Papapanou N, Anderson R, Li R, Konofagou EE. Temporal stability of lipid-shelled microbubbles during acoustically-mediated blood-brain barrier opening. FRONTIERS IN PHYSICS 2020; 8:137. [PMID: 32457896 PMCID: PMC7250395 DOI: 10.3389/fphy.2020.00137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Non-invasive blood-brain barrier (BBB) opening using focused ultrasound (FUS) is being tested as a means to locally deliver drugs into the brain. Such FUS therapies require injection of preformed microbubbles, currently used as contrast agents in ultrasound imaging. Although their behavior during exposure to imaging sequences has been well described, our understanding of microbubble stability within a therapeutic field is still not complete. Here, we study the temporal stability of lipid-shelled microbubbles during therapeutic FUS exposure in two timescales: the short time scale (i.e., μs of low-frequency ultrasound exposure) and the long time scale (i.e., days post-activation). We first simulated the microbubble response to low-frequency sonication, and found a strong correlation between viscosity and fragmentation pressure. Activated microbubbles had a concentration decay constant of 0.02 d-1 but maintained a quasi-stable size distribution for up to 3 weeks (< 10% variation). Microbubbles flowing through a 4-mm vessel within a tissue-mimicking phantom (5% gelatin) were exposed to therapeutic pulses (fc: 0.5 MHz, peak-negative pressure: 300 kPa, pulse length: 1 ms, pulse repetition frequency: 1 Hz, n=10). We recorded and analyzed their acoustic emissions, focusing on emitted energy and its temporal evolution, alongside the frequency content. Measurements were repeated with concentration-matched samples (107 microbubbles/ml) on day 0, 7, 14, and 21 after activation. Temporal stability decreased while inertial cavitation response increased with storage time both in vitro and in vivo, possibly due to changes in the shell lipid content. Using the same parameters and timepoints, we performed BBB opening in a mouse model (n=3). BBB opening volume measured through T1-weighted contrast-enhanced MRI was equal to 19.1 ± 7.1 mm3, 21.8 ± 14 mm3, 29.3 ± 2.5 mm3, and 38 ± 20.1 mm3 on day 0, 7, 14, and 21, respectively, showing no significant difference over time (p-value: 0.49). Contrast enhancement was 24.9 ± 1.7 %, 23.7 ± 11.7 %, 28.9 ± 5.3 %, and 35 ± 13.4 %, respectively (p-value: 0.63). In conclusion, the in-house made microbubbles studied here maintain their capacity to produce similar therapeutic effects over a period of 3 weeks after activation, as long as the natural concentration decay is accounted for. Future work should focus on stability of commercially available microbubbles and tailoring microbubble shell properties towards therapeutic applications.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Daniella A. Jimenez
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York City, New York 10032, USA
| | - Alexander Frank
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York City, New York 10032, USA
| | - Alexander Robertson
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York City, New York 10032, USA
| | - Lin Zhang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York City, New York 10032, USA
| | - Alina R. Kline-Schoder
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York City, New York 10032, USA
| | - Vividha Bhaskar
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York City, New York 10032, USA
| | - Mitra Harpale
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York City, New York 10032, USA
| | - Elizabeth Caso
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York City, New York 10032, USA
| | - Nicholas Papapanou
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York City, New York 10032, USA
| | - Rachel Anderson
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York City, New York 10032, USA
| | - Rachel Li
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York City, New York 10032, USA
| | - Elisa E. Konofagou
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York City, New York 10032, USA
- Department of Radiology, Columbia University, New York City, New York 10032, USA
- Correspondence: Elisa E. Konofagou 351 Engineering Terrace, 1210 Amsterdam Avenue Mail Code: 8904, New York, NY, USA 10027 Phone: 212-342-0863, 212-854-9661
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42
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Yemane PT, Åslund AKO, Snipstad S, Bjørkøy A, Grendstad K, Berg S, Mørch Y, Torp SH, Hansen R, Davies CDL. Effect of Ultrasound on the Vasculature and Extravasation of Nanoscale Particles Imaged in Real Time. ULTRASOUND IN MEDICINE & BIOLOGY 2019; 45:3028-3041. [PMID: 31474384 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2019.07.683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2019] [Revised: 07/31/2019] [Accepted: 07/31/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Ultrasound and microbubbles have been found to improve the delivery of drugs and nanoparticles to tumor tissue. To obtain new knowledge on the influence of vascular parameters on extravasation and to elucidate the effect of acoustic pressure on extravasation and penetration of nanoscale particles into the extracellular matrix, real-time intravital multiphoton microscopy was performed during sonication of tumors growing in dorsal window chambers. The impact of vessel diameter, vessel structure and blood flow was characterized. Fluorescein isothiocyanate-dextran (2 MDa) was injected to visualize blood vessels. Mechanical indexes (MI) of 0.2-0.8 and in-house-made, nanoparticle-stabilized microbubbles or Sonovue were applied. The rate and extent of penetration into the extracellular matrix increased with increasing MI. However, to achieve extravasation, smaller vessels required MIs (0.8) higher than those of blood vessels with larger diameters. Ultrasound changed the blood flow rate and direction. Interestingly, the majority of extravasations occurred at vessel branching points.
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Affiliation(s)
- Petros T Yemane
- Department of Physics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Andreas K O Åslund
- Department of Physics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway; Department of Biotechnology and Nanomedicine, SINTEF Industry, Trondheim, Norway; Stroke Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, St. Olav's Hospital, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Sofie Snipstad
- Department of Physics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway; Department of Biotechnology and Nanomedicine, SINTEF Industry, Trondheim, Norway; Cancer Clinic, St. Olav's Hospital, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Astrid Bjørkøy
- Department of Physics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Kristin Grendstad
- Department of Physics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Sigrid Berg
- Cancer Clinic, St. Olav's Hospital, Trondheim, Norway; Department of Circulation and Medical Imaging, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway; Department of Health Research, SINTEF Digital, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Yrr Mørch
- Department of Biotechnology and Nanomedicine, SINTEF Industry, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Sverre H Torp
- Department of Pathology, St. Olav's Hospital, Trondheim, Norway; Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Rune Hansen
- Department of Circulation and Medical Imaging, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway; Department of Health Research, SINTEF Digital, Trondheim, Norway
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Akerstrom T, Goldman D, Nilsson F, Milkovich SL, Fraser GM, Brand CL, Hellsten Y, Ellis CG. Hyperinsulinemia does not cause de novo capillary recruitment in rat skeletal muscle. Microcirculation 2019; 27:e12593. [PMID: 31605649 PMCID: PMC7064932 DOI: 10.1111/micc.12593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2019] [Revised: 09/05/2019] [Accepted: 09/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Objective The effect of insulin on blood flow distribution within muscle microvasculature has been suggested to be important for glucose metabolism. However, the “capillary recruitment” hypothesis is still controversial and relies on studies using indirect contrast‐enhanced ultrasound (CEU) methods. Methods We studied how hyperinsulinemia effects capillary blood flow in rat extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscle during euglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamp using intravital video microscopy (IVVM). Additionally, we modeled blood flow and microbubble distribution within the vascular tree under conditions observed during euglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamp experiments. Results Euglycemic hyperinsulinemia caused an increase in erythrocyte (80 ± 25%, P < .01) and plasma (53 ± 12%, P < .01) flow in rat EDL microvasculature. We found no evidence of de novo capillary recruitment within, or among, capillary networks supplied by different terminal arterioles; however, erythrocyte flow became slightly more homogenous. Our computational model predicts that a decrease in asymmetry at arteriolar bifurcations causes redistribution of microbubble flow among capillaries already perfused with erythrocytes and plasma, resulting in 25% more microbubbles flowing through capillaries. Conclusions Our model suggests increase in CEU signal during hyperinsulinemia reflects a redistribution of arteriolar flow and not de novo capillary recruitment. IVVM experiments support this prediction showing increases in erythrocyte and plasma flow and not capillary recruitment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thorbjorn Akerstrom
- Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, Section of Integrative Physiology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Daniel Goldman
- Department of Medical Biophysics, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada
| | - Franciska Nilsson
- Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, Section of Integrative Physiology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Stephanie L Milkovich
- Department of Medical Biophysics, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada
| | - Graham M Fraser
- Division of BioMedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Canada
| | | | - Ylva Hellsten
- Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, Section of Integrative Physiology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Christopher G Ellis
- Department of Medical Biophysics, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada
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Omata D, Maruyama T, Unga J, Hagiwara F, Munakata L, Kageyama S, Shima T, Suzuki Y, Maruyama K, Suzuki R. Effects of encapsulated gas on stability of lipid-based microbubbles and ultrasound-triggered drug delivery. J Control Release 2019; 311-312:65-73. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2019.08.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2019] [Revised: 08/21/2019] [Accepted: 08/23/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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45
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Meng Y, Pople CB, Lea-Banks H, Abrahao A, Davidson B, Suppiah S, Vecchio LM, Samuel N, Mahmud F, Hynynen K, Hamani C, Lipsman N. Safety and efficacy of focused ultrasound induced blood-brain barrier opening, an integrative review of animal and human studies. J Control Release 2019; 309:25-36. [PMID: 31326464 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2019.07.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2019] [Revised: 07/16/2019] [Accepted: 07/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The blood-brain barrier, while fundamental in maintaining homeostasis in the central nervous system, is a bottleneck to achieving efficacy for numerous therapeutics. Improved brain penetration is also desirable for reduced dose, cost, and systemic side effects. Transient disruption of the blood-brain barrier with focused ultrasound (FUS) can facilitate drug delivery noninvasively with precise spatial and temporal specificity. FUS technology is transcranial and effective without further drug modifications, key advantages that will accelerate adoption and translation of existing therapeutic pipelines. In this review, we performed a comprehensive literature search to build a database and provide a synthesis of ultrasound parameters and drug characteristics that influence the safety and efficacy profile of FUS to enhance drug delivery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Meng
- Division of Neurosurgery, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada; Sunnybrook Research Institute, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Christopher B Pople
- Sunnybrook Research Institute, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Harriet Lea-Banks
- Sunnybrook Research Institute, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Agessandro Abrahao
- Sunnybrook Research Institute, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada; Department of Medicine (Neurology), Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Benjamin Davidson
- Division of Neurosurgery, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada; Sunnybrook Research Institute, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Suganth Suppiah
- Division of Neurosurgery, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Laura M Vecchio
- Sunnybrook Research Institute, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Nardin Samuel
- Division of Neurosurgery, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Faiza Mahmud
- Sunnybrook Research Institute, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Kullervo Hynynen
- Sunnybrook Research Institute, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada; Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Clement Hamani
- Division of Neurosurgery, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada; Sunnybrook Research Institute, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada; Hurvitz Brain Sciences Research Program, Harquail Centre for Neuromodulation, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Nir Lipsman
- Division of Neurosurgery, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada; Sunnybrook Research Institute, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada; Hurvitz Brain Sciences Research Program, Harquail Centre for Neuromodulation, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
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Karakatsani ME, Wang S, Samiotaki G, Kugelman T, Olumolade OO, Acosta C, Sun T, Han Y, Kamimura HAS, Jackson-Lewis V, Przedborski S, Konofagou E. Amelioration of the nigrostriatal pathway facilitated by ultrasound-mediated neurotrophic delivery in early Parkinson's disease. J Control Release 2019; 303:289-301. [PMID: 30953664 PMCID: PMC6618306 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2019.03.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2018] [Revised: 01/30/2019] [Accepted: 03/29/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
The blood-brain barrier (BBB) prevents most drugs from gaining access to the brain parenchyma, which is a recognized impediment to the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders like Parkinson's disease (PD). Focused ultrasound (FUS), in conjunction with systemically administered microbubbles, opens the BBB locally, reversibly and non-invasively. Herein, we show that neither FUS applied over both the striatum and the ventral midbrain, without neurotrophic factors, nor intravenous administration of neurotrophic factors (either through protein or gene delivery) without FUS, ameliorates the damage to the nigrostriatal dopaminergic pathway in the sub-acute MPTP mouse model of early-stage PD. Conversely, the combination of FUS and intravenous neurotrophic (protein or gene) delivery attenuates the damage to the nigrostriatal dopaminergic pathway, by allowing the entry of these agents into the brain parenchyma. Our findings provide evidence that the application of FUS at the early stages of PD facilitates critical neurotrophic delivery that can curb the rapid progression of neurodegeneration while improving the neuronal function, seemingly opening new therapeutic avenues for the early treatment of diseases of the central nervous system.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Shutao Wang
- Departments of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Gesthimani Samiotaki
- Departments of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Tara Kugelman
- Departments of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Oluyemi O Olumolade
- Departments of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Camilo Acosta
- Departments of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Tao Sun
- Departments of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Yang Han
- Departments of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Hermes A S Kamimura
- Departments of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Vernice Jackson-Lewis
- Departments of Pathology & Cell Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA; Departments of Neurology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA; the Center for Motor Neuron Biology and Disease, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA; the Columbia Translational Neuroscience Initiative, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Serge Przedborski
- Departments of Pathology & Cell Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA; Departments of Neurology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA; the Center for Motor Neuron Biology and Disease, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA; the Columbia Translational Neuroscience Initiative, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA.
| | - Elisa Konofagou
- Departments of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA; Departments of Radiology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA.
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Zhang Y, Liao C, Qu H, Huang S, Jiang H, Zhou H, Abrams E, Habte FG, Yuan L, Bertram EH, Lee KS, Pauly KB, Buckmaster PS, Wintermark M. Testing Different Combinations of Acoustic Pressure and Doses of Quinolinic Acid for Induction of Focal Neuron Loss in Mice Using Transcranial Low-Intensity Focused Ultrasound. ULTRASOUND IN MEDICINE & BIOLOGY 2019; 45:129-136. [PMID: 30309748 PMCID: PMC6289648 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2018.08.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2018] [Revised: 08/21/2018] [Accepted: 08/28/2018] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
The goal of this study was to test different combinations of acoustic pressure and doses of quinolinic acid (QA) for producing a focal neuronal lesion in the murine hippocampus without causing unwanted damage to adjacent brain structures. Sixty male CD-1 mice were divided into 12 groups that underwent magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound at high (0.67 MPa), medium (0.5 MPa) and low (0.33 MPa) acoustic peak negative pressures and received QA at high (0.012 mmol), medium (0.006 mmol) and low (0.003 mmol) dosages. Neuronal loss occurred only when magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound with adequate acoustic power (0.67 or 0.5 MPa) was combined with QA. The animals subjected to the highest acoustic power had larger lesions than those treated with medium acoustic power, but two mice had evidence of bleeding. When the intermediate acoustic power was used, medium and high dosages of QA produced lesions larger than those produced by the low dosage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanrong Zhang
- Department of Ultrasound, Wuhan Children's Hospital (Wuhan Maternal and Child Healthcare Hospital), Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, China; Neuroradiology Section, Department of Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Chengde Liao
- Neuroradiology Section, Department of Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA; Department of Radiology, Third Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Tumor Hospital of Yunnan Province, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Haibo Qu
- Neuroradiology Section, Department of Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA; Department of Medical Imaging, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Siqin Huang
- Neuroradiology Section, Department of Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA; Traditional Chinese Medicine College, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Hong Jiang
- Neuroradiology Section, Department of Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA; Department of Neurology, Peking University of People's Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Haiyan Zhou
- Neuroradiology Section, Department of Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA; The Acupuncture and Tuina School/Third Teaching Hospital, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Emily Abrams
- Department of Comparative Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Frezghi G Habte
- Department of Radiology, Molecular Imaging Program, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Li Yuan
- Department of Ultrasound, Wuhan Children's Hospital (Wuhan Maternal and Child Healthcare Hospital), Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, China
| | - Edward H Bertram
- Department of Neurology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Kevin S Lee
- Departments of Neuroscience and Neurosurgery and Center for Brain Immunology and Glia, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Kim Butts Pauly
- Department of Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Paul S Buckmaster
- Department of Comparative Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Max Wintermark
- Neuroradiology Section, Department of Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA.
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48
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Effects of Nonlinear Propagation of Focused Ultrasound on the Stable Cavitation of a Single Bubble. ACOUSTICS 2018. [DOI: 10.3390/acoustics1010003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Many biomedical applications such as ultrasonic targeted drug delivery, gene therapy, and molecular imaging entail the problems of manipulating microbubbles by means of a high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) pressure field; namely stable cavitation. In high-intensity acoustic field, bubbles demonstrate translational instability, the well-known erratic dancing motion, which is caused by shape oscillations of the bubbles that are excited by their volume oscillations. The literature of bubble dynamics in the HIFU field is mainly centered on experiments, lacking a systematic study to determine the threshold for shape oscillations and translational motion. In this work, we extend the existing multiphysics mathematical modeling platform on bubble dynamics for taking account of (1) the liquid compressibility which allows us to apply a high-intensity acoustic field; (2) the mutual interactions of volume pulsation, shape modes, and translational motion; as well as (3) the effects of nonlinearity, diffraction, and absorption of HIFU to incorporate the acoustic nonlinearity due to wave kinematics or medium—all in one model. The effects of acoustic nonlinearity on the radial pulsations, axisymmetric modes of shape oscillations, and translational motion of a bubble, subjected to resonance and off-resonance excitation and various acoustic pressure, are examined. The results reveal the importance of considering all the involved harmonics and wave distortion in the bubble dynamics, to accurately predict the oscillations, translational trajectories, and the threshold for inertial (unstable) cavitation. This result is of interest for understanding the bubble dynamical behaviors observed experimentally in the HIFU field.
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49
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Song KH, Harvey BK, Borden MA. State-of-the-art of microbubble-assisted blood-brain barrier disruption. Theranostics 2018; 8:4393-4408. [PMID: 30214628 PMCID: PMC6134932 DOI: 10.7150/thno.26869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 112] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2018] [Accepted: 07/06/2018] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Focused ultrasound with microbubbles promises unprecedented advantages for blood-brain barrier disruption over existing intracranial drug delivery methods, as well as a significant number of tunable parameters that affect its safety and efficacy. This review provides an engineering perspective on the state-of-the-art of the technology, considering the mechanism of action, effects of microbubble properties, ultrasound parameters and physiological variables, as well as safety and potential therapeutic applications. Emphasis is placed on the use of unified parameters, such as microbubble volume dose (MVD) and ultrasound mechanical index, to optimize the procedure and establish safety limits. It is concluded that, while efficacy has been demonstrated in several animal models with a wide range of payloads, acceptable measures of safety should be adopted to accelerate collaboration and improve understanding and clinical relevance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kang-Ho Song
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309
| | - Brandon K. Harvey
- Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Baltimore, MD 21224
| | - Mark A. Borden
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309
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50
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Szablowski JO, Lee-Gosselin A, Lue B, Malounda D, Shapiro MG. Acoustically targeted chemogenetics for the non-invasive control of neural circuits. Nat Biomed Eng 2018; 2:475-484. [PMID: 30948828 DOI: 10.1038/s41551-018-0258-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2017] [Accepted: 06/05/2018] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Neurological and psychiatric disorders are often characterized by dysfunctional neural circuits in specific regions of the brain. Existing treatment strategies, including the use of drugs and implantable brain stimulators, aim to modulate the activity of these circuits. However, they are not cell-type-specific, lack spatial targeting or require invasive procedures. Here, we report a cell-type-specific and non-invasive approach based on acoustically targeted chemogenetics that enables the modulation of neural circuits with spatiotemporal specificity. The approach uses ultrasound waves to transiently open the blood-brain barrier and transduce neurons at specific locations in the brain with virally encoded engineered G-protein-coupled receptors. The engineered neurons subsequently respond to systemically administered designer compounds to activate or inhibit their activity. In a mouse model of memory formation, the approach can modify and subsequently activate or inhibit excitatory neurons within the hippocampus, with selective control over individual brain regions. This technology overcomes some of the key limitations associated with conventional brain therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jerzy O Szablowski
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Audrey Lee-Gosselin
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Brian Lue
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Dina Malounda
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Mikhail G Shapiro
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA.
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