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Yu J, Cheng W, Ni J, Li C, Su X, Yan H, Bao F, Hou L. High-Speed Generation of Microbubbles with Constant Cumulative Production in a Glass Capillary Microfluidic Bubble Generator. MICROMACHINES 2024; 15:752. [PMID: 38930722 PMCID: PMC11205313 DOI: 10.3390/mi15060752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2024] [Revised: 05/29/2024] [Accepted: 05/31/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
This work reports a simple bubble generator for the high-speed generation of microbubbles with constant cumulative production. To achieve this, a gas-liquid co-flowing microfluidic device with a tiny capillary orifice as small as 5 μm is fabricated to produce monodisperse microbubbles. The diameter of the microbubbles can be adjusted precisely by tuning the input gas pressure and flow rate of the continuous liquid phase. The co-flowing structure ensures the uniformity of the generated microbubbles, and the surfactant in the liquid phase prevents coalescence of the collected microbubbles. The diameter coefficient of variation (CV) of the generated microbubbles can reach a minimum of 1.3%. Additionally, the relationship between microbubble diameter and the gas channel orifice is studied using the low Capillary number (Ca) and Weber number (We) of the liquid phase. Moreover, by maintaining a consistent gas input pressure, the CV of the cumulative microbubble volume can reach 3.6% regardless of the flow rate of the liquid phase. This method not only facilitates the generation of microbubbles with morphologic stability under variable flow conditions, but also ensures that the cumulative microbubble production over a certain period of time remains constant, which is important for the volume-dominated application of chromatographic analysis and the component analysis of natural gas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Yu
- Key Laboratory of Measuring & Online Assessment of Energy for Jiangsu Province Market Regulation, Suzhou Institute of Metrology, Suzhou 215128, China (C.L.)
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Flow Measurement Technology, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou 310018, China
| | - Wei Cheng
- Key Laboratory of Measuring & Online Assessment of Energy for Jiangsu Province Market Regulation, Suzhou Institute of Metrology, Suzhou 215128, China (C.L.)
| | - Jinchun Ni
- Key Laboratory of Measuring & Online Assessment of Energy for Jiangsu Province Market Regulation, Suzhou Institute of Metrology, Suzhou 215128, China (C.L.)
| | - Changwu Li
- Key Laboratory of Measuring & Online Assessment of Energy for Jiangsu Province Market Regulation, Suzhou Institute of Metrology, Suzhou 215128, China (C.L.)
| | - Xinggen Su
- Dalian Institute of Metrology Inspection and Testing Co., Ltd., Dalian 116000, China
| | - Hui Yan
- School of Mechatronics Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China
| | - Fubing Bao
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Flow Measurement Technology, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou 310018, China
| | - Likai Hou
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Flow Measurement Technology, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou 310018, China
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Wegierak D, Cooley MB, Perera R, Wulftange WJ, Gurkan UA, Kolios MC, Exner AA. Decorrelation Time Mapping as an Analysis Tool for Nanobubble-Based Contrast Enhanced Ultrasound Imaging. IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON MEDICAL IMAGING 2024; 43:2370-2380. [PMID: 38329864 PMCID: PMC11234354 DOI: 10.1109/tmi.2024.3364076] [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] [Indexed: 02/10/2024]
Abstract
Nanobubbles (NBs; ~100-500 nm diameter) are preclinical ultrasound (US) contrast agents that expand applications of contrast enhanced US (CEUS). Due to their sub-micron size, high particle density, and deformable shell, NBs in pathological states of heightened vascular permeability (e.g. in tumors) extravasate, enabling applications not possible with microbubbles (~1000-10,000 nm diameter). A method that can separate intravascular versus extravascular NB signal is needed as an imaging biomarker for improved tumor detection. We present a demonstration of decorrelation time (DT) mapping for enhanced tumor NB-CEUS imaging. In vitro models validated the sensitivity of DT to agent motion. Prostate cancer mouse models validated in vivo imaging potential and sensitivity to cancerous tissue. Our findings show that DT is inversely related to NB motion, offering enhanced detail of NB dynamics in tumors, and highlighting the heterogeneity of the tumor environment. Average DT was high in tumor regions (~9 s) compared to surrounding normal tissue (~1 s) with higher sensitivity to tumor tissue compared to other mapping techniques. Molecular NB targeting to tumors further extended DT (11 s) over non-targeted NBs (6 s), demonstrating sensitivity to NB adherence. From DT mapping of in vivo NB dynamics we demonstrate the heterogeneity of tumor tissue while quantifying extravascular NB kinetics and delineating intra-tumoral vasculature. This new NB-CEUS-based biomarker can be powerful in molecular US imaging, with improved sensitivity and specificity to diseased tissue and potential for use as an estimator of vascular permeability and the enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect in tumors.
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Miller MA, Medina S. Life at the interface: Engineering bio-nanomaterials through interfacial molecular self-assembly. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. NANOMEDICINE AND NANOBIOTECHNOLOGY 2024; 16:e1966. [PMID: 38725255 PMCID: PMC11090466 DOI: 10.1002/wnan.1966] [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: 11/30/2023] [Revised: 04/18/2024] [Accepted: 04/20/2024] [Indexed: 05/15/2024]
Abstract
Interfacial self-assembly describes the directed organization of molecules and colloids at phase boundaries. Believed to be fundamental to the inception of primordial life, interfacial assembly is exploited by a myriad of eukaryotic and prokaryotic organisms to execute physiologic activities and maintain homeostasis. Inspired by these natural systems, chemists, engineers, and materials scientists have sought to harness the thermodynamic equilibria at phase boundaries to create multi-dimensional, highly ordered, and functional nanomaterials. Recent advances in our understanding of the biophysical principles guiding molecular assembly at gas-solid, gas-liquid, solid-liquid, and liquid-liquid interphases have enhanced the rational design of functional bio-nanomaterials, particularly in the fields of biosensing, bioimaging and biotherapy. Continued development of non-canonical building blocks, paired with deeper mechanistic insights into interphase self-assembly, holds promise to yield next generation interfacial bio-nanomaterials with unique, and perhaps yet unrealized, properties. This article is categorized under: Nanotechnology Approaches to Biology > Nanoscale Systems in Biology Therapeutic Approaches and Drug Discovery > Emerging Technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael A Miller
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Scott Medina
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
- Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
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Perera RH, Berg FM, Abenojar EC, Nittayacharn P, Kim Y, Wang X, Basilion JP, Exner A. Ultrasound-mediated drug-free theranostics for treatment of prostate cancer. Bioact Mater 2024; 35:45-55. [PMID: 38304914 PMCID: PMC10831121 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioactmat.2023.12.012] [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: 09/20/2023] [Revised: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 12/16/2023] [Indexed: 02/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Lipid-shelled nanobubbles (NBs) can be visualized and activated using noninvasive ultrasound (US) stimulation, leading to significant bioeffects. Prior work demonstrates that active targeting of NBs to prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) overexpressed in prostate cancer (PCa) results in enhanced cellular internalization and prolongs NB retention with persistent, cancer-cell specific acoustic activity. In this work, we hypothesized that tumor-accumulated PSMA-NBs combined with low frequency unfocused therapeutic US (TUS) will lead to selective damage and induce a specific therapeutic effect in PSMA-expressing tumors compared to PSMA-negative tumors. We observed that the internalized NBs and cellular compartments were disrupted after the PSMA-NB + TUS (targeted NB therapy or TNT) application, yet treated cells remained intact and viable. In vivo, PSMA-expressing tumors in mice receiving TNT treatment demonstrated a significantly greater extent of apoptosis (78.4 ± 9.3 %, p < 0.01) compared to controls. TNT treatment significantly inhibited the PSMA expressing tumor growth and increased median survival time by 103 %, p < 0.001). A significant reduction in tumor progression compared to untreated control was also seen in an orthotopic rabbit PCa model. Results demonstrate that cavitation of PSMA-NBs internalized via receptor-mediated endocytosis into target PCa cells using unfocused ultrasound results in significant, tumor-specific bioeffects. The effects, while not lethal to PSMA-expressing cancer cells in vitro, result in significant in vivo reduction in tumor progression in two models of PCa. While the mechanism of action of these effects is yet unclear, it is likely related to a locally-induced immune response, opening the door to future investigations in this area.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Felipe Matias Berg
- Department of Radiology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA
- Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, São Paulo, SP, 05652-900, Brazil
| | - Eric Chua Abenojar
- Department of Radiology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA
| | - Pinunta Nittayacharn
- Department of Radiology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Mahidol University, Puttamonthon, Nakorn Pathom, 73170, Thailand
| | - Youjoung Kim
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, 44106, OH, USA
| | - Xinning Wang
- Department of Radiology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, 44106, OH, USA
| | - James Peter Basilion
- Department of Radiology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, 44106, OH, USA
| | - Agata Exner
- Department of Radiology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, 44106, OH, USA
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Nittayacharn P, Abenojar E, Cooley MB, Berg FM, Counil C, Sojahrood AJ, Khan MS, Yang C, Berndl E, Golczak M, Kolios MC, Exner AA. Efficient ultrasound-mediated drug delivery to orthotopic liver tumors - Direct comparison of doxorubicin-loaded nanobubbles and microbubbles. J Control Release 2024; 367:135-147. [PMID: 38237687 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2024.01.028] [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: 09/14/2023] [Revised: 01/11/2024] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 01/28/2024]
Abstract
Liver metastasis is a major obstacle in treating aggressive cancers, and current therapeutic options often prove insufficient. To overcome these challenges, there has been growing interest in ultrasound-mediated drug delivery using lipid-shelled microbubbles (MBs) and nanobubbles (NBs) as promising strategies for enhancing drug delivery to tumors. Our previous work demonstrated the potential of Doxorubicin-loaded C3F8 NBs (hDox-NB, 280 ± 123 nm) in improving cancer treatment in vitro using low-frequency unfocused therapeutic ultrasound (TUS). In this study, we investigated the pharmacokinetics and biodistribution of sonicated hDox-NBs in orthotopic rat liver tumors. We compared their delivery and therapeutic efficiency with size-isolated MBs (hDox-MB, 1104 ± 373 nm) made from identical shell material and core gas. Results showed a similar accumulation of hDox in tumors treated with hDox-MBs and unfocused therapeutic ultrasound (hDox-MB + TUS) and hDox-NB + TUS. However, significantly increased apoptotic cell death in the tumor and fewer off-target apoptotic cells in the normal liver were found upon the treatment with hDox-NB + TUS. The tumor-to-liver apoptotic ratio was elevated 9.4-fold following treatment with hDox-NB + TUS compared to hDox-MB + TUS, suggesting that the therapeutic efficacy and specificity are significantly increased when using hDox-NB + TUS. These findings highlight the potential of this approach as a viable treatment modality for liver tumors. By elucidating the behavior of drug-loaded bubbles in vivo, we aim to contribute to developing more effective liver cancer treatments that could ultimately improve patient outcomes and decrease off-target side effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pinunta Nittayacharn
- Department of Radiology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Mahidol University, Puttamonthon, Nakorn Pathom, Thailand
| | - Eric Abenojar
- Department of Radiology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Michaela B Cooley
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Felipe M Berg
- Department of Radiology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA; Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Claire Counil
- Department of Radiology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Amin Jafari Sojahrood
- Department of Physics, Toronto Metropolitan University, Toronto, Canada; Institute for Biomedical Engineering, Science and Technology (iBEST), a partnership between St. Michael's Hospital, a site of Unity Health Toronto and Toronto Metropolitan University, Toronto, Canada
| | - Muhammad Saad Khan
- Department of Physics, Toronto Metropolitan University, Toronto, Canada; Institute for Biomedical Engineering, Science and Technology (iBEST), a partnership between St. Michael's Hospital, a site of Unity Health Toronto and Toronto Metropolitan University, Toronto, Canada
| | - Celina Yang
- Department of Physics, Toronto Metropolitan University, Toronto, Canada; Institute for Biomedical Engineering, Science and Technology (iBEST), a partnership between St. Michael's Hospital, a site of Unity Health Toronto and Toronto Metropolitan University, Toronto, Canada
| | - Elizabeth Berndl
- Department of Physics, Toronto Metropolitan University, Toronto, Canada; Institute for Biomedical Engineering, Science and Technology (iBEST), a partnership between St. Michael's Hospital, a site of Unity Health Toronto and Toronto Metropolitan University, Toronto, Canada
| | - Marcin Golczak
- Department of Pharmacology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Michael C Kolios
- Department of Physics, Toronto Metropolitan University, Toronto, Canada; Institute for Biomedical Engineering, Science and Technology (iBEST), a partnership between St. Michael's Hospital, a site of Unity Health Toronto and Toronto Metropolitan University, Toronto, Canada
| | - Agata A Exner
- Department of Radiology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA.
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Shah R, Phatak N, Choudhary A, Gadewar S, Ajazuddin, Bhattacharya S. Exploring the Theranostic Applications and Prospects of Nanobubbles. Curr Pharm Biotechnol 2024; 25:1167-1181. [PMID: 37861011 DOI: 10.2174/0113892010248189231010085827] [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: 02/08/2023] [Revised: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023]
Abstract
Anticancer medications as well as additional therapeutic compounds, have poor clinical effectiveness due to their diverse distribution, non-selectivity for malignant cells, and undesirable off-target side effects. As a result, ultrasound-based targeted delivery of therapeutic compounds carried in sophisticated nanocarriers has grown in favor of cancer therapy and control. Nanobubbles are nanoscale bubbles that exhibit unique physiochemical properties in both their inner core and outer shell. Manufacturing nanobubbles primarily aims to enhance therapeutic agents' bioavailability, stability, and targeted delivery. The small size of nanobubbles allows for their extravasation from blood vessels into surrounding tissues and site-specific release through ultrasound targeting. Ultrasound technology is widely utilized for therapy due to its speed, safety, and cost-effectiveness, and micro/nanobubbles, as ultrasound contrast agents, have numerous potential applications in disease treatment. Thus, combining ultrasound applications with NBs has recently demonstrated increased localization of anticancer molecules in tumor tissues with triggered release behavior. Consequently, an effective therapeutic concentration of drugs/genes is achieved in target tumor tissues with ultimately increased therapeutic efficacy and minimal side effects on other non-cancerous tissues. This paper provides a brief overview of the production processes for nanobubbles, along with their key characteristics and potential therapeutic uses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rahul Shah
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy & Technology Management, SVKM'S NMIMS Deemed-to-be University, Shirpur, Maharashtra, 425405, India
| | - Niraj Phatak
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy & Technology Management, SVKM'S NMIMS Deemed-to-be University, Shirpur, Maharashtra, 425405, India
| | - Ashok Choudhary
- Department of Quality Assurance, School of Pharmacy & Technology Management, SVKM'S NMIMS Deemed-to-be University, Shirpur, Maharashtra, 425405, India
| | - Sakshi Gadewar
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy & Technology Management, SVKM'S NMIMS Deemed-to-be University, Shirpur, Maharashtra, 425405, India
| | - Ajazuddin
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Rungta College of Pharmaceutical Sciences & Research, Khoka-Kurud Road, Bhilai, Chhattisgarh, 490024, India
| | - Sankha Bhattacharya
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy & Technology Management, SVKM'S NMIMS Deemed-to-be University, Shirpur, Maharashtra, 425405, India
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Zalloum IO, Jafari Sojahrood A, Paknahad AA, Kolios MC, Tsai SSH, Karshafian R. Controlled Tempering of Lipid Concentration and Microbubble Shrinkage as a Possible Mechanism for Fine-Tuning Microbubble Size and Shell Properties. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2023; 39:17622-17631. [PMID: 38016673 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.3c01599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2023]
Abstract
The acoustic response of microbubbles (MBs) depends on their resonance frequency, which is dependent on the MB size and shell properties. Monodisperse MBs with tunable shell properties are thus desirable for optimizing and controlling the MB behavior in acoustics applications. By utilizing a novel microfluidic method that uses lipid concentration to control MB shrinkage, we generated monodisperse MBs of four different initial diameters at three lipid concentrations (5.6, 10.0, and 16.0 mg/mL) in the aqueous phase. Following shrinkage, we measured the MB resonance frequency and determined its shell stiffness and viscosity. The study demonstrates that we can generate monodisperse MBs of specific sizes and tunable shell properties by controlling the MB initial diameter and aqueous phase lipid concentration. Our results indicate that the resonance frequency increases by 180-210% with increasing lipid concentration (from 5.6 to 16.0 mg/mL), while the bubble diameter is kept constant. Additionally, we find that the resonance frequency decreases by 260-300% with an increasing MB final diameter (from 5 to 12 μm), while the lipid concentration is held constant. For example, our results depict that the resonance frequency increases by ∼195% with increasing lipid concentration from 5.6 to 16.0 mg/mL, for ∼11 μm final diameter MBs. Additionally, we find that the resonance frequency decreases by ∼275% with increasing MB final diameter from 5 to 12 μm when we use a lipid concentration of 5.6 mg/mL. We also determine that MB shell viscosity and stiffness increase with increasing lipid concentration and MB final diameter, and the level of change depends on the degree of shrinkage experienced by the MB. Specifically, we find that by increasing the concentration of lipids from 5.6 to 16.0 mg/mL, the shell stiffness and viscosity of ∼11 μm final diameter MBs increase by ∼400 and ∼200%, respectively. This study demonstrates the feasibility of fine-tuning the MB acoustic response to ultrasound by tailoring the MB initial diameter and lipid concentration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Intesar O Zalloum
- Department of Physics, Toronto Metropolitan University, Toronto M5B 2K3, Ontario, Canada
- Institute for Biomedical Engineering, Science and Technology (iBEST), A Partnership between Toronto Metropolitan University and St. Michael's Hospital, 209 Victoria Street, Toronto M5B 1T8, Ontario, Canada
- Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science, Unity Health Toronto, 209 Victoria Street, Toronto M5B 1W8, Ontario, Canada
| | - Amin Jafari Sojahrood
- Department of Physics, Toronto Metropolitan University, Toronto M5B 2K3, Ontario, Canada
- Institute for Biomedical Engineering, Science and Technology (iBEST), A Partnership between Toronto Metropolitan University and St. Michael's Hospital, 209 Victoria Street, Toronto M5B 1T8, Ontario, Canada
- Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science, Unity Health Toronto, 209 Victoria Street, Toronto M5B 1W8, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ali A Paknahad
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Toronto Metropolitan University, 350 Victoria Street, Toronto M5B 2K3, Ontario, Canada
- Institute for Biomedical Engineering, Science and Technology (iBEST), A Partnership between Toronto Metropolitan University and St. Michael's Hospital, 209 Victoria Street, Toronto M5B 1T8, Ontario, Canada
- Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science, Unity Health Toronto, 209 Victoria Street, Toronto M5B 1W8, Ontario, Canada
| | - Michael C Kolios
- Department of Physics, Toronto Metropolitan University, Toronto M5B 2K3, Ontario, Canada
- Institute for Biomedical Engineering, Science and Technology (iBEST), A Partnership between Toronto Metropolitan University and St. Michael's Hospital, 209 Victoria Street, Toronto M5B 1T8, Ontario, Canada
- Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science, Unity Health Toronto, 209 Victoria Street, Toronto M5B 1W8, Ontario, Canada
| | - Scott S H Tsai
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Toronto Metropolitan University, 350 Victoria Street, Toronto M5B 2K3, Ontario, Canada
- Institute for Biomedical Engineering, Science and Technology (iBEST), A Partnership between Toronto Metropolitan University and St. Michael's Hospital, 209 Victoria Street, Toronto M5B 1T8, Ontario, Canada
- Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science, Unity Health Toronto, 209 Victoria Street, Toronto M5B 1W8, Ontario, Canada
- Graduate Program in Biomedical Engineering, Toronto Metropolitan University, 350 Victoria Street, Toronto M5B 2K3, Ontario, Canada
| | - Raffi Karshafian
- Department of Physics, Toronto Metropolitan University, Toronto M5B 2K3, Ontario, Canada
- Institute for Biomedical Engineering, Science and Technology (iBEST), A Partnership between Toronto Metropolitan University and St. Michael's Hospital, 209 Victoria Street, Toronto M5B 1T8, Ontario, Canada
- Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science, Unity Health Toronto, 209 Victoria Street, Toronto M5B 1W8, Ontario, Canada
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Perera RH, Berg FM, Abenojar EC, Nittayacharn P, Kim Y, Wang X, Basilion JP, Exner AA. Ultrasound-mediated drug-free theranostics for treatment of prostate cancer. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.09.13.555594. [PMID: 37745586 PMCID: PMC10515807 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.13.555594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
Rationale Lipid-shelled nanobubbles (NBs) can be visualized and activated using noninvasive ultrasound (US) stimulation, leading to significant bioeffects. We have previously shown that active targeting of NBs to prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) overexpressed in prostate cancer (PCa) enhances the cellular internalization and prolongs retention of NBs with persistent acoustic activity (~hrs.). In this work, we hypothesized that tumor-accumulated PSMA-NBs combined with low frequency therapeutic US (TUS) will lead to selective damage and induce a therapeutic effect in PSMA-expressing tumors compared to PSMA-negative tumors. Methods PSMA-targeted NBs were formulated by following our previously established protocol. Cellular internalization of fluorescent PSMA-NBs was evaluated by confocal imaging using late endosome/lysosome staining pre- and post-TUS application. Two animal models were used to assess the technique. Mice with dual tumors (PSMA expressing and PSMA negative) received PSMA-NB injection via the tail vein followed by TUS 1 hr. post injection (termed, targeted NB therapy or TNT). Twenty-four hours after treatment mice were euthanized and tumor cell apoptosis evaluated via TUNEL staining. Mice with single tumors (either PSMA + or -) were used for survival studies. Tumor size was measured for 80 days after four consecutive TNT treatments (every 3 days). To test the approach in a larger model, immunosuppressed rabbits with orthotopic human PSMA expressing tumors received PSMA-NB injection via the tail vein followed by TUS 30 min after injection. Tumor progression was assessed via US imaging and at the end point apoptosis was measured via TUNEL staining. Results In vitro TNT studies using confocal microscopy showed that the internalized NBs and cellular compartments were disrupted after the TUS application, yet treated cells remained intact and viable. In vivo, PSMA-expressing tumors in mice receiving TNT treatment demonstrated a significantly greater extent of apoptosis (78.45 ± 9.3%, p < 0.01) compared to the other groups. TNT treatment significantly inhibited the PSMA (+) tumor growth and overall survival significantly improved (median survival time increase by 103%, p < 0.001). A significant reduction in tumor progression compared to untreated control was also seen in the rabbit model in intraprostatic (90%) and in extraprostatic lesions (94%) (p = 0.069 and 0.003, respectively). Conclusion We demonstrate for the first time the effect of PSMA-targeted nanobubble intracellular cavitation on cancer cell viability and tumor progression in two animal models. Data demonstrate that the targeted nanobubble therapy (TNT) approach relies primarily on mechanical disruption of intracellular vesicles and the resulting bioeffects appear to be more specific to target cancer cells expressing the PSMA receptor. The effect, while not lethal in vitro, resulted in significant tumor apoptosis in vivo in both a mouse and a rabbit model of PCa. While the mechanism of action of these effects is yet unclear, it is likely related to a locally-induced immune response, opening the door to future investigations in this area.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Felipe Matias Berg
- Department of Radiology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States
- Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Eric Chua Abenojar
- Department of Radiology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States
| | - Pinunta Nittayacharn
- Department of Radiology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States
| | - Youjoung Kim
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Xinning Wang
- Department of Radiology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - James P. Basilion
- Department of Radiology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Agata A. Exner
- Department of Radiology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
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Nittayacharn P, Abenojar E, Cooley M, Berg F, Counil C, Sojahrood AJ, Khan MS, Yang C, Berndl E, Golczak M, Kolios MC, Exner AA. Efficient ultrasound-mediated drug delivery to orthotopic liver tumors - Direct comparison of doxorubicin-loaded nanobubbles and microbubbles. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.09.01.555196. [PMID: 37732235 PMCID: PMC10508722 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.01.555196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/22/2023]
Abstract
Liver metastasis is a major obstacle in treating aggressive cancers, and current therapeutic options often prove insufficient. To overcome these challenges, there has been growing interest in ultrasound-mediated drug delivery using lipid-shelled microbubbles (MBs) and nanobubbles (NBs) as promising strategies for enhancing drug delivery to tumors. Our previous work demonstrated the potential of Doxorubicin-loaded C3F8 NBs (hDox-NB, 280 ± 123 nm) in improving cancer treatment in vitro using low-frequency ultrasound. In this study, we investigated the pharmacokinetics and biodistribution of sonicated hDox-NBs in orthotopic rat liver tumors. We compared their delivery and therapeutic efficiency with size-isolated MBs (hDox-MB, 1104 ± 373 nm). Results showed a similar accumulation of hDox in tumors treated with hDox-MBs and unfocused therapeutic ultrasound (hDox-MB+TUS) and hDox-NB+TUS. However, significantly increased apoptotic cell death in the tumor and fewer off-target apoptotic cells in the normal liver were found upon the treatment with hDox-NB+TUS. The tumor-to-liver apoptotic ratio was elevated 9.4-fold following treatment with hDox-NB+TUS compared to hDox-MB+TUS, suggesting that the therapeutic efficacy and specificity are significantly increased when using hDox-NB+TUS. These findings highlight the potential of this approach as a viable treatment modality for liver tumors. By elucidating the behavior of drug-loaded bubbles in vivo, we aim to contribute to developing more effective liver cancer treatments that could ultimately improve patient outcomes and decrease off-target side effects.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Eric Abenojar
- Department of Radiology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Michaela Cooley
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Felipe Berg
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
- Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Claire Counil
- Department of Radiology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | | | | | - Celina Yang
- Department of Physics, Toronto Metropolitan University, Toronto, Canada
| | - Elizabeth Berndl
- Department of Physics, Toronto Metropolitan University, Toronto, Canada
| | - Marcin Golczak
- Department of Pharmacology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Michael C. Kolios
- Department of Physics, Toronto Metropolitan University, Toronto, Canada
| | - Agata A. Exner
- Department of Radiology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
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10
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Yang J, Chen C, Miao X, Wang T, Guan Y, Zhang L, Chen S, Zhang Z, Xia Z, Kang J, Li H, Yin T, Hei Z, Yao W. Injury Site Specific Xenon Delivered by Platelet Membrane-Mimicking Hybrid Microbubbles to Protect Against Acute Kidney Injury via Inhibition of Cellular Senescence. Adv Healthc Mater 2023; 12:e2203359. [PMID: 36977502 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202203359] [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: 12/24/2022] [Revised: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023]
Abstract
Inhalation of xenon gas improves acute kidney injury (AKI). However, xenon can only be delivered through inhalation, which causes non-specific distribution and low bioavailability of xenon, thus limiting its clinical application. In this study, xenon is loaded into platelet membrane-mimicking hybrid microbubbles (Xe-Pla-MBs). In ischemia-reperfusion-induced AKI, intravenously injected Xe-Pla-MBs adhere to the endothelial injury site in the kidney. Xe-Pla-MBs are then disrupted by ultrasound, and xenon is released to the injured site. This release of xenon reduced ischemia-reperfusion-induced renal fibrosis and improved renal function, which are associated with decreased protein expression of cellular senescence markers p53 and p16, as well as reduced beta-galactosidase in renal tubular epithelial cells. Together, platelet membrane-mimicking hybrid microbubble-delivered xenon to the injred site protects against ischemia-reperfusion-induced AKI, which likely reduces renal senescence. Thus, the delivery of xenon by platelet membrane-mimicking hybrid microbubbles is a potential therapeutic approach for AKI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Yang
- Department of Anesthesiology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510630, P. R. China
| | - Chaojin Chen
- Department of Anesthesiology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510630, P. R. China
| | - Xiaoyan Miao
- Department of Medical Ultrasonic, Laboratory of Novel Optoacoustic (Ultrasonic) Imaging, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510630, P. R. China
| | - Tienan Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510630, P. R. China
| | - Yu Guan
- Department of Anesthesiology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510630, P. R. China
| | - Linan Zhang
- Department of Anesthesiology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510630, P. R. China
| | - Sufang Chen
- Department of Anesthesiology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510630, P. R. China
| | - Zheng Zhang
- Department of Anesthesiology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510630, P. R. China
| | - Zhengyuan Xia
- Department of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 999077, P. R. China
| | - Jiayi Kang
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
| | - Haobo Li
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
| | - Tinghui Yin
- Department of Medical Ultrasonic, Laboratory of Novel Optoacoustic (Ultrasonic) Imaging, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510630, P. R. China
| | - Ziqing Hei
- Department of Anesthesiology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510630, P. R. China
| | - Weifeng Yao
- Department of Anesthesiology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510630, P. R. China
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11
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Cooley MB, Wulftange WJ, Wegierak D, Goreke U, Abenojar EC, Gurkan UA, Exner AA. Real-time imaging of nanobubble ultrasound contrast agent flow, extravasation, and diffusion through an extracellular matrix using a microfluidic model. LAB ON A CHIP 2023; 23:3453-3466. [PMID: 37424286 DOI: 10.1039/d3lc00514c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
Lipid shell-stabilized nanoparticles with a perfluorocarbon gas-core, or nanobubbles, have recently attracted attention as a new contrast agent for molecular ultrasound imaging and image-guided therapy. Due to their small size (∼275 nm diameter) and flexible shell, nanobubbles have been shown to extravasate through hyperpermeable vasculature (e.g., in tumors). However, little is known about the dynamics and depth of extravasation of intact, acoustically active nanobubbles. Accordingly, in this work, we developed a microfluidic chip with a lumen and extracellular matrix (ECM) and imaging method that allows real-time imaging and characterization of the extravasation process with high-frequency ultrasound. The microfluidic device has a lumen and is surrounded by an extracellular matrix with tunable porosity. The combination of ultrasound imaging and the microfluidic chip advantageously produces real-time images of the entire length and depth of the matrix. This captures the matrix heterogeneity, offering advantages over other imaging techniques with smaller fields of view. Results from this study show that nanobubbles diffuse through a 1.3 μm pore size (2 mg mL-1) collagen I matrix 25× faster with a penetration depth that was 0.19 mm deeper than a 3.7 μm (4 mg mL-1) matrix. In the 3.7 μm pore size matrix, nanobubbles diffused 92× faster than large nanobubbles (∼875 nm diameter). Decorrelation time analysis was successfully used to differentiate flowing and extra-luminally diffusing nanobubbles. In this work, we show for the first time that combination of an ultrasound-capable microfluidic chip and real-time imaging provided valuable insight into spatiotemporal nanoparticle movement through a heterogeneous extracellular matrix. This work could help accurately predict parameters (e.g., injection dosage) that improve translation of nanoparticles from in vitro to in vivo environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michaela B Cooley
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, USA
| | - William J Wulftange
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, USA
| | - Dana Wegierak
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, USA
| | - Utku Goreke
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, USA.
| | - Eric C Abenojar
- Department of Radiology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, USA.
| | - Umut A Gurkan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, USA
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, USA.
| | - Agata A Exner
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, USA
- Department of Radiology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, USA.
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12
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Microbubbles for human diagnosis and therapy. Biomaterials 2023; 294:122025. [PMID: 36716588 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2023.122025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Revised: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/24/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Microbubbles (MBs) were observed for the first time in vivo as a curious consequence of quick saline injection during ultrasound (US) imaging of the aortic root, more than 50 years ago. From this serendipitous event, MBs are now widely used as contrast enhancers for US imaging. Their intrinsic properties described in this review, allow a multitude of designs, from shell to gas composition but also from grafting targeting agents to drug payload encapsulation. Indeed, the versatile MBs are deeply studied for their dual potential in imaging and therapy. As presented in this paper, new generations of MBs now opens perspectives for targeted molecular imaging along with the development of new US imaging systems. This review also presents an overview of the different therapeutic strategies with US and MBs for cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and inflammation. The overall aim is to overlap those fields in order to find similarities in the MBs application for treatment enhancement associated with US. To conclude, this review explores the new scales of MBs technologies with nanobubbles development, and along concurrent advances in the US imaging field. This review ends by discussing perspectives for the booming future uses of MBs.
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13
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Khairalseed M, Hoyt K. Generalized mathematical framework for contrast-enhanced ultrasound imaging with pulse inversion spectral deconvolution. ULTRASONICS 2023; 129:106913. [PMID: 36528905 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultras.2022.106913] [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: 08/24/2022] [Revised: 10/30/2022] [Accepted: 12/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
A generalized mathematical framework for performing contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) imaging is introduced. Termed pulse inversion spectral deconvolution (PISD), this CEUS approach is founded on Gaussian derivative functions (GDFs). PISD pulses are used to form two inverted pulse sequences, which are then used to filter backscattered ultrasound (US) data for isolation of the nonlinear (NL) microbubble (MB) signal component. An US scanner equipped with a linear array transducer was used for data acquisition. With a vascular flow phantom perfused with MBs, data was collected using PISD and NL-based CEUS imaging. The role of wide-beam transmit aperture size (32 or 64 elements) was also evaluated using an US pulse frequency of 6.25 MHz. Image enhancement was quantified by a contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR). Preliminary in vivo data was collected in the hindlimb and kidney of healthy rats. Overall, in vitro wide-beam CEUS imaging using an aperture size of 64 elements yielded improved CNR values. Specifically, PISD-based CEUS imaging produced CNR values of 37.3 dB. For comparison, CNR values obtained using B-mode US or NL approaches were 2.1 and 12.1 dB, respectively. In vivo results demonstrated that PISD-based CEUS imaging improved vascular visualization compared to the NL imaging strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mawia Khairalseed
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, USA
| | - Kenneth Hoyt
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, USA.
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14
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Cooley MB, Abenojar EC, Wegierak D, Sen Gupta A, Kolios MC, Exner AA. Characterization of the interaction of nanobubble ultrasound contrast agents with human blood components. Bioact Mater 2023; 19:642-652. [PMID: 35600972 PMCID: PMC9109121 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioactmat.2022.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2022] [Revised: 04/24/2022] [Accepted: 05/01/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Nanoscale ultrasound contrast agents, or nanobubbles, are being explored in preclinical applications ranging from vascular and cardiac imaging to targeted drug delivery in cancer. These sub-micron particles are approximately 10x smaller than clinically available microbubbles. This allows them to effectively traverse compromised physiological barriers and circulate for extended periods of time. While various aspects of nanobubble behavior have been previously examined, their behavior in human whole blood has not yet been explored. Accordingly, herein we examined, for the first time, the short and long-term effects of blood components on nanobubble acoustic response. We observed differences in the kinetics of backscatter from nanobubble suspensions in whole blood compared to bubbles in phosphate buffered saline (PBS), plasma, or red blood cell solutions (RBCs). Specifically, after introducing nanobubbles to fresh human whole blood, signal enhancement, or the magnitude of nonlinear ultrasound signal, gradually increased by 22.8 ± 13.1% throughout our experiment, with peak intensity reached within 145 s. In contrast, nanobubbles in PBS had a stable signal with negligible change in intensity (−1.7 ± 3.2%) over 8 min. Under the same conditions, microbubbles made with the same lipid formulation showed a −56.8 ± 6.1% decrease in enhancement in whole blood. Subsequent confocal, fluorescent, and scanning electron microscopy analysis revealed attachment of the nanobubbles to the surface of RBCs, suggesting that direct interactions, or hitchhiking, of nanobubbles on RBCs in the presence of plasma may be a possible mechanism for the observed effects. This phenomenon could be key to extending nanobubble circulation time and has broad implications in drug delivery, where RBC interaction with nanoparticles could be exploited to improve delivery efficiency. Show distinct signal enhancement curve of nanobubbles (NB) in human whole blood Compare signal enhancement over time in blood with NBs and microbubbles (MBs) Examine the effect of blood components on NB and MB movement over time Demonstrate, with microscopy, that NBs localize to the RBC surface in whole blood
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15
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Zalloum IO, Paknahad AA, Kolios MC, Karshafian R, Tsai SSH. Controlled Shrinkage of Microfluidically Generated Microbubbles by Tuning Lipid Concentration. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2022; 38:13021-13029. [PMID: 36260341 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.2c01439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Monodisperse microbubbles with diameters less than 10 μm are desirable in several ultrasound imaging and therapeutic delivery applications. However, conventional approaches to synthesize microbubbles, which are usually agitation-based, produce polydisperse bubbles that are less desirable because of their heterogeneous response when exposed to an ultrasound field. Microfluidics technology has the unique advantage of generating size-controlled monodisperse microbubbles, and it is now well established that the diameter of microfluidically made microbubbles can be tuned by varying the liquid flow rate, gas pressure, and dimensions of the microfluidic channel. It is also observed that once the microbubbles form, the bubbles shrink and eventually stabilize to a quasi-equilibrium diameter, and that the rate of stabilization is related to the lipid solution. However, how the lipid solution concentration affects the degree of bubble shrinkage, and the stable size of microbubbles, has not been thoroughly examined. Here, we investigate whether and how the lipid concentration affects the degree of microbubble shrinkage. Namely, we utilize a flow-focusing microfluidic geometry to generate monodisperse bubbles, and observe the effect of gas composition (2.5, 1.42, and 0.17 wt % octafluoropropane in nitrogen) and lipid concentration (1-16 mg/mL) on the degree of microbubble shrinkage. For the lipid system and gas utilized in these experiments, we observe a monotonic increase in the degree of microbubble shrinkage with decreasing lipid concentration, and no dependency on the gas composition. We hypothesize that the degree of shrinkage is related to lipid concentration by the self-assembly of lipids on the gas-liquid interface during bubble generation and subsequent lipid packing on the interface during shrinkage, which is arrested when a maximum packing density is achieved. We anticipate that this approach for creating and tuning the size of monodisperse microbubbles will find utility in biomedical applications, such as contrast-enhanced ultrasound imaging and ultrasound-triggered gene delivery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Intesar O Zalloum
- Department of Physics, Toronto Metropolitan University, Toronto, Ontario M5B 2K3, Canada
- Institute for Biomedical Engineering, Science and Technology (iBEST), A Partnership Between Toronto Metropolitan University and St. Michael's Hospital, 209 Victoria Street, Toronto, Ontario M5B 1T8, Canada
- Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science, Unity Health Toronto, 209 Victoria Street, Toronto, Ontario M5B 1W8, Canada
| | - Ali A Paknahad
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Toronto Metropolitan University, 350 Victoria Street, Toronto, Ontario M5B 2K3, Canada
- Institute for Biomedical Engineering, Science and Technology (iBEST), A Partnership Between Toronto Metropolitan University and St. Michael's Hospital, 209 Victoria Street, Toronto, Ontario M5B 1T8, Canada
- Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science, Unity Health Toronto, 209 Victoria Street, Toronto, Ontario M5B 1W8, Canada
| | - Michael C Kolios
- Department of Physics, Toronto Metropolitan University, Toronto, Ontario M5B 2K3, Canada
- Institute for Biomedical Engineering, Science and Technology (iBEST), A Partnership Between Toronto Metropolitan University and St. Michael's Hospital, 209 Victoria Street, Toronto, Ontario M5B 1T8, Canada
- Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science, Unity Health Toronto, 209 Victoria Street, Toronto, Ontario M5B 1W8, Canada
| | - Raffi Karshafian
- Department of Physics, Toronto Metropolitan University, Toronto, Ontario M5B 2K3, Canada
- Institute for Biomedical Engineering, Science and Technology (iBEST), A Partnership Between Toronto Metropolitan University and St. Michael's Hospital, 209 Victoria Street, Toronto, Ontario M5B 1T8, Canada
- Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science, Unity Health Toronto, 209 Victoria Street, Toronto, Ontario M5B 1W8, Canada
| | - Scott S H Tsai
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Toronto Metropolitan University, 350 Victoria Street, Toronto, Ontario M5B 2K3, Canada
- Institute for Biomedical Engineering, Science and Technology (iBEST), A Partnership Between Toronto Metropolitan University and St. Michael's Hospital, 209 Victoria Street, Toronto, Ontario M5B 1T8, Canada
- Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science, Unity Health Toronto, 209 Victoria Street, Toronto, Ontario M5B 1W8, Canada
- Graduate Program in Biomedical Engineering, Toronto Metropolitan University, 350 Victoria Street, Toronto, Ontario M5B 2K3, Canada
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16
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Counil C, Abenojar E, Perera R, Exner AA. Extrusion: A New Method for Rapid Formulation of High-Yield, Monodisperse Nanobubbles. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2022; 18:e2200810. [PMID: 35587613 PMCID: PMC9233137 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202200810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Revised: 04/24/2022] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Shell-stabilized gas microbubbles (MB) and nanobubbles (NB) are frequently used for biomedical ultrasound imaging and therapeutic applications. While it is widely recognized that monodisperse bubbles can be more effective in these applications, the efficient formulation of uniform bubbles at high concentrations is difficult to achieve. Here, it is demonstrated that a standard mini-extruder setup, commonly used to make vesicles or liposomes, can be used to quickly and efficiently generate monodisperse NBs with high yield. In this highly reproducible technique, the NBs obtained have an average diameter of 0.16 ± 0.05 µm and concentration of 6.2 ± 1.8 × 1010 NBs mL-1 compared to 0.32 ± 0.1 µm and 3.2 ± 0.7 × 1011 mL-1 for NBs made using mechanical agitation. Parameters affecting the extrusion and NB generation process including the temperature, concentration of the lipid solution, and the number of passages through the extruder are also examined. Moreover, it is demonstrated that extruded NBs show a strong acoustic response in vitro and a strong and persistent US signal enhancement under nonlinear contrast enhanced ultrasound imaging in mice. The extrusion process is a new, efficient, and scalable technique that can be used to easily produce high yield smaller monodispersed nanobubbles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire Counil
- Department of Radiology, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH, 44106-7207, USA
| | - Eric Abenojar
- Department of Radiology, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH, 44106-7207, USA
| | - Reshani Perera
- Department of Radiology, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH, 44106-7207, USA
| | - Agata A Exner
- Department of Radiology, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH, 44106-7207, USA
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17
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Myers JZ, Navarro-Becerra JA, Borden MA. Nanobubbles are Non-Echogenic for Fundamental-Mode Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound Imaging. Bioconjug Chem 2022; 33:1106-1113. [PMID: 35476906 DOI: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.2c00155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Microbubbles (1-10 μm diameter) have been used as conventional ultrasound contrast agents (UCAs) for applications in contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) imaging. Nanobubbles (<1 μm diameter) have recently been proposed as potential extravascular UCAs that can extravasate from the leaky vasculature of tumors or sites of inflammation. However, the echogenicity of nanobubbles for CEUS remains controversial owing to prior studies that have shown very low ultrasound backscatter. We hypothesize that microbubble contamination in nanobubble formulations may explain the discrepancy. To test our hypothesis, we examined the size distributions of lipid-coated nanobubble and microbubble suspensions using multiple sizing techniques, examined their echogenicity in an agar phantom with fundamental-mode CEUS at 7 MHz and 330 kPa peak negative pressure, and interpreted our results with simulations of the modified Rayleigh-Plesset model. We found that nanobubble formulations contained a small contamination of microbubbles. Once the contribution from these microbubbles is removed from the acoustic backscatter, the acoustic contrast of the nanobubbles was shown to be near noise levels. This result indicates that nanobubbles have limited utility as UCAs for CEUS.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Z Myers
- Biomedical Engineering Program, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
| | - J Angel Navarro-Becerra
- Mechanical Engineering Department, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
| | - Mark A Borden
- Biomedical Engineering Program, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States.,Mechanical Engineering Department, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
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18
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Navarro-Becerra JA, Song KH, Martinez P, Borden MA. Microbubble Size and Dose Effects on Pharmacokinetics. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2022; 8:1686-1695. [PMID: 35357814 DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.2c00043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Optimization of contrast-enhanced imaging and focused ultrasound therapy requires a comprehensive understanding of in vivo microbubble (MB) pharmacokinetics. Prior studies have focused pharmacokinetic analysis on indirect techniques, such as ultrasound imaging of the blood pool and gas chromatography of exhaled gases. The goal of this work was to measure the MB concentration directly in blood and correlate the pharmacokinetic parameters with the MB size and dose. MB volume dose (MVD) was chosen to combine the size distribution and number into a single-dose parameter. Different MB sizes (2, 3, and 5 μm diameter) at 5-40 μL/kg MVD were intravenously injected. Blood samples were withdrawn at different times (1-10 min) and analyzed by image processing. We found that for an MVD threshold < 40 μL/kg for 2 and 3 μm and <10 μL/kg for 5 μm, MB clearance followed first-order kinetics. When matching MVD, MBs of different sizes had comparable half-lives, indicating that gas dissolution and elimination by the lungs are the primary mechanisms for elimination. Above the MVD threshold, MB clearance followed biexponential kinetics, suggesting a second elimination mechanism mediated by organ retention, possibly in the lung, liver, and spleen. In conclusion, we present the first direct MB pharmacokinetic study, demonstrate the utility of MVD as a unified dose metric, and provide insights into the mechanisms of MB clearance from circulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Angel Navarro-Becerra
- Mechanical Engineering Department, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
| | - Kang-Ho Song
- Mechanical Engineering Department, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
| | - Payton Martinez
- Biomedical Engineering Program, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
| | - Mark A Borden
- Mechanical Engineering Department, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States.,Biomedical Engineering Program, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
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19
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Abstract
Low-intensity ultrasound-triggered sonodynamic therapy (SDT) is a promising noninvasive therapeutic modality due to its strong tissue penetration ability. In recent years, with the development of nanotechnology, nanoparticle-based sonosensitizer-mediated SDT has been widely investigated. With the increasing demand for precise and personalized treatment, abundant novel sonosensitizers with imaging capabilities have been developed for determining the optimal therapeutic window, thus significantly enhancing treatment efficacy. In this review, we focus on the molecular imaging-guided SDT. The prevalent mechanisms of SDT are discussed, including ultrasonic cavitation, sonoluminescence, reactive oxygen species, and mechanical damage. In addition, we introduce the major molecular imaging techniques and the design principles based on nanoparticles to achieve efficient imaging. Furthermore, the imaging-guided SDT for the treatment of cancer, bacterial infections, and vascular diseases is summarized. The ultimate goal is to design more effective imaging-guided SDT modalities and provide novel ideas for clinical translation of SDT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Guo
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Organic-Inorganic Composites, Beijing Laboratory of Biomedical Materials, Bionanomaterials & Translational Engineering Laboratory, Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, P.R. China
| | - Xueting Pan
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Organic-Inorganic Composites, Beijing Laboratory of Biomedical Materials, Bionanomaterials & Translational Engineering Laboratory, Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, P.R. China
| | - Chaohui Wang
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Organic-Inorganic Composites, Beijing Laboratory of Biomedical Materials, Bionanomaterials & Translational Engineering Laboratory, Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, P.R. China
| | - Huiyu Liu
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Organic-Inorganic Composites, Beijing Laboratory of Biomedical Materials, Bionanomaterials & Translational Engineering Laboratory, Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, P.R. China
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20
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Exner AA, Kolios MC. Bursting Microbubbles: How Nanobubble Contrast Agents Can Enable the Future of Medical Ultrasound Molecular Imaging and Image-Guided Therapy. Curr Opin Colloid Interface Sci 2021; 54:101463. [PMID: 34393610 PMCID: PMC8356903 DOI: 10.1016/j.cocis.2021.101463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The field of medical ultrasound has undergone a significant evolution since the development of microbubbles as contrast agents. However, due to their size, microbubbles remain in the vasculature, and therefore have limited clinical applications. Building a better - and smaller - bubble can expand the applications of contrast-enhanced ultrasound by allowing bubbles to extravasate from blood vessels - creating new opportunities. In this review, we summarize recent research on the formulation and use of NBs as imaging agents and as therapeutic vehicles. We discuss the ongoing debates in the field and reluctance to accepting NBs as an acoustically active construct and a potentially impactful clinical tool that can help shape the future of medical ultrasound. We hope that the overview of key experimental and theoretical findings in the NB field presented in this paper provides a fundamental framework that will help clarify NB-ultrasound interactions and inspire engagement in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agata A. Exner
- Departments of Radiology and Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
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21
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Batchelor DV, Armistead FJ, Ingram N, Peyman SA, Mclaughlan JR, Coletta PL, Evans SD. Nanobubbles for therapeutic delivery: Production, stability and current prospects. Curr Opin Colloid Interface Sci 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cocis.2021.101456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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22
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Pellow C, Cherin E, Abenojar EC, Exner AA, Zheng G, Demore CEM, Goertz DE. High-Frequency Array-Based Nanobubble Nonlinear Imaging in a Phantom and In Vivo. IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON ULTRASONICS, FERROELECTRICS, AND FREQUENCY CONTROL 2021; 68:2059-2074. [PMID: 33513102 PMCID: PMC8296974 DOI: 10.1109/tuffc.2021.3055141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
There has been growing interest in nanobubbles (NBs) for vascular and extravascular ultrasound contrast imaging and therapeutic applications. Studies to date have generally utilized low frequencies (<12 MHz), high concentrations (>109 mL-1), and uncalibrated B-mode or contrast-mode on commercial systems without reporting investigations on NB signatures upon which the imaging protocols should be based. We recently demonstrated that low concentrations (106 mL-1) of porphyrin-lipid-encapsulated NBs scatter nonlinearly at low (2.5, 8 MHz) and high (12.5, 25, 30 MHz) frequencies in a pressure threshold-dependent manner that is advantageous for amplitude modulation (AM) imaging. Here, we implement pressure-calibrated AM at high frequency on a commercial preclinical array system to enhance sensitivity to nonlinear scattering of three phospholipid-based NB formulations. With this approach, improvements in contrast to tissue ratio relative to B-mode between 12.4 and 22.8 dB are demonstrated in a tissue-mimicking phantom, and between 6.7 and 14.8 dB in vivo.
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23
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Yuan A, Zhang Y, Fang G, Chen W, Zeng X, Zhou H, Cai H, Zhong X. Ultrasmall MoS 2 nanodots-wrapped perfluorohexane nanodroplets for dual-modal imaging and enhanced photothermal therapy. Colloids Surf B Biointerfaces 2021; 205:111880. [PMID: 34116399 DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfb.2021.111880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2021] [Revised: 05/13/2021] [Accepted: 05/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Development of a multifunctional nanotherapeutic agent with high contrast-enhanced dual-modal imaging and photothermal therapy (PTT) efficacy is of great interest. Combination of ultrasound (US) and computed tomography (CT) imaging offers high spatial resolution images, showing great potential in medical imaging. Herein, the semiconducting perfluorohexane (PFH) nanodroplets, MoS2-PFH-PLLAs, are developed by stabilizing PFH droplets with the coating shell of poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLLA) and encapsulating the droplets with photoabsorbers of ultrasmall molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) nanodots. Upon near-infrared (NIR) irradiation, the MoS2-PFH-PLLAs can absorb the NIR light and convert it into heat, which not only promotes liquid-to-gas phase transition of PFH but also triggers photothermal heating, resulting in contrast-enhanced US/CT imaging and photothermal killing effect in vitro. Furthermore, the production of microbubbles can serve as the blasting agents to collaboratively enhance PTT efficacy after NIR irradiation. When intravenously injected into tumor-bearing mice, the MoS2-PFH-PLLAs exhibit a dual-modal US/CT imaging-guided synergistically therapeutic efficacy under NIR irradiation, resulting in tumor ablation. These nanotherapeutic agents demonstrate good biocompatibility, highly contrast-enhanced US/CT imaging, and combinational enhanced PTT efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Yuan
- Department of Ultrasonography, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China
| | - Yuping Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China
| | - Guiting Fang
- Department of Ultrasonography, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China
| | - Weijian Chen
- Department of Ultrasonography, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China
| | - Xueyi Zeng
- Department of Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China
| | - Haibo Zhou
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Analysis and Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Pharmacodynamic Constituents of Traditional Chinese Medicine & New Drug Research, College of Pharmacy, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China
| | - Huaihong Cai
- Department of Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China.
| | - Xing Zhong
- Department of Ultrasonography, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China.
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24
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Han Y, Xu X, Liu F, Wei W, Liu Z. Novel Microfluidic Device for the Preparation of Multiple Microproducts. Ind Eng Chem Res 2021. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.iecr.1c01094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yu Han
- R&D Institute of Fluid and Powder Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China
| | - Xiaofei Xu
- R&D Institute of Fluid and Powder Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China
| | - Fengxia Liu
- R&D Institute of Fluid and Powder Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China
| | - Wei Wei
- R&D Institute of Fluid and Powder Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China
| | - Zhijun Liu
- R&D Institute of Fluid and Powder Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China
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25
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Jafari Sojahrood A, de Leon AC, Lee R, Cooley M, Abenojar EC, Kolios MC, Exner AA. Toward Precisely Controllable Acoustic Response of Shell-Stabilized Nanobubbles: High Yield and Narrow Dispersity. ACS NANO 2021; 15:4901-4915. [PMID: 33683878 PMCID: PMC7992193 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.0c09701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the pressure dependence of the nonlinear behavior of ultrasonically excited phospholipid-stabilized nanobubbles (NBs) is important for optimizing ultrasound exposure parameters for implementations of contrast enhanced ultrasound, critical to molecular imaging. The viscoelastic properties of the shell can be controlled by the introduction of membrane additives, such as propylene glycol as a membrane softener or glycerol as a membrane stiffener. We report on the production of high-yield NBs with narrow dispersity and different shell properties. Through precise control over size and shell structure, we show how these shell components interact with the phospholipid membrane, change their structure, affect their viscoelastic properties, and consequently change their acoustic response. A two-photon microscopy technique through a polarity-sensitive fluorescent dye, C-laurdan, was utilized to gain insights on the effect of membrane additives to the membrane structure. We report how the shell stiffness of NBs affects the pressure threshold (Pt) for the sudden amplification in the scattered acoustic signal from NBs. For narrow size NBs with 200 nm mean size, we find Pt to be between 123 and 245 kPa for the NBs with the most flexible membrane as assessed using C-Laurdan, 465-588 kPa for the NBs with intermediate stiffness, and 588-710 kPa for the NBs with stiff membranes. Numerical simulations of the NB dynamics are in good agreement with the experimental observations, confirming the dependence of acoustic response to shell properties, thereby substantiating further the development in engineering the shell of ultrasound contrast agents. The viscoelastic-dependent threshold behavior can be utilized for significantly and selectively enhancing the diagnostic and therapeutic ultrasound applications of potent narrow size NBs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amin Jafari Sojahrood
- Department
of Physics, Ryerson University, Toronto, Ontario M5B 2K3, Canada
- Institute
for Biomedical Engineering and Science Technology, A Partnership between Ryerson University and St. Michael’s
Hospital, Toronto, Ontario M5B 1T8, Canada
| | - Al C. de Leon
- Department
of Radiology Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, United States
| | - Richard Lee
- Light
Microscopy Imaging Core, Case Western Reserve
University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, United
States
| | - Michaela Cooley
- Department
of Radiology Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, United States
| | - Eric C. Abenojar
- Department
of Radiology Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, United States
| | - Michael C. Kolios
- Department
of Physics, Ryerson University, Toronto, Ontario M5B 2K3, Canada
- Institute
for Biomedical Engineering and Science Technology, A Partnership between Ryerson University and St. Michael’s
Hospital, Toronto, Ontario M5B 1T8, Canada
| | - Agata A. Exner
- Department
of Radiology Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, United States
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26
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Nittayacharn P, Abenojar E, La Deda M, Ricciardi L, Strangi G, Exner AA. Iridium(III) Complex-Loaded Perfluoropropane Nanobubbles for Enhanced Sonodynamic Therapy. Bioconjug Chem 2021; 33:1057-1068. [PMID: 33677967 PMCID: PMC10108504 DOI: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.1c00082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Sonodynamic therapy (SDT) is a novel promising approach for the minimally invasive treatment of cancer derived from photodynamic therapy (PDT). In this study, we have explored an effective sonosensitizer for SDT by loading the iridium(III) complex [Ir(ppy)2(en)] OOCCH3, where ppy = 2-phenylpyridine and en = ethylenediamine], from now on referred to as Ir, with high photosensitizing ability, into echogenic nanobubbles (Ir-NBs). Akin to photosensitizers, sonosensitizers are acoustically activated by deep-tissue-penetrating low-frequency ultrasound (US) resulting in a localized therapeutic effect attributed to an excessive generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). The Ir-NB formulation was optimized, and the in vitro characterizations were carried out, including physical properties, acoustic performance, intracellular ROS generation, and cytotoxicity against two human cancer cell lines. Ir-NBs had an average size of 303.3 ± 91.7 nm with a bubble concentration of 9.28 × 1010 particles/mL immediately following production. We found that the initial Ir feeding concentration had a negligible effect on the NB size, but affected the bubble concentration as well as the acoustic performance of the NBs. Through a combination of sonication and Ir-NBs treatment, an increase of 68.8% and 69.6% cytotoxicity in human ovarian cancer cells (OVCAR-3) and human breast cancer cells (MCF-7), respectively, was observed compared to the application of Ir-NBs alone. Furthermore, Ir-NBs exposed to the US also induced the highest levels of intracellular ROS generation compared to free Ir and free Ir with empty NBs. The combination of these results suggests that the differences in treatment efficacy is a direct result of acoustic cavitation. These results provide evidence that US activated Ir-loaded NBs have the potential to become an effective sonosensitizer for SDT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pinunta Nittayacharn
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, United States
| | - Eric Abenojar
- Department of Radiology, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, United States
| | - Massimo La Deda
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Technologies, University of Calabria, 87036 Rende, Cosenza, Italy.,CNR NANOTEC - Institute of Nanotechnology, UOS Cosenza, 87036 Rende, Cosenza, Italy
| | - Loredana Ricciardi
- CNR NANOTEC - Institute of Nanotechnology, UOS Cosenza, 87036 Rende, Cosenza, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Strangi
- CNR NANOTEC - Institute of Nanotechnology, UOS Cosenza, 87036 Rende, Cosenza, Italy.,Department of Physics, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, United States
| | - Agata A Exner
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, United States.,Department of Radiology, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, United States
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27
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Pellow C, Tan J, Chérin E, Demore CEM, Zheng G, Goertz DE. High frequency ultrasound nonlinear scattering from porphyrin nanobubbles. ULTRASONICS 2021; 110:106245. [PMID: 32932144 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultras.2020.106245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2020] [Revised: 08/14/2020] [Accepted: 09/02/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Emerging contrast imaging studies have highlighted the potential of nanobubbles for both intravascular and extravascular applications. Reports to date on nanobubbles have generally utilized low frequencies (<12 MHz), high concentrations (>109 mL-1), and B-mode or contrast-mode on preclinical and clinical systems. However, none of these studies directly examined nanobubble acoustic signatures systematically to implement nonlinear imaging schemes in a methodical manner based on nanobubble behaviour. Here, nanobubble nonlinear behaviour is investigated at high frequencies (12.5, 25, 30 MHz) and low concentration (106 mL-1) in a channel phantom, with different pulse types in single- and multi-pulse sequences to examine behaviour under conditions relevant to high frequency imaging. Porphyrin nanobubbles are demonstrated to initiate nonlinear scattering at high frequencies in a pressure-threshold dependent manner, as previously observed at low frequencies. This threshold behaviour was then utilized to demonstrate enhanced nanobubble imaging with pulse inversion, amplitude modulation, and a combination of the two, progressing towards the improved sensitivity and expanded utility of these ultrasound contrast agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carly Pellow
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1L7, Canada; Princess Margaret Cancer Research Centre, 101 College St., Toronto, ON M5G 0A3, Canada; Sunnybrook Research Institute, 2075 Bayview Avenue, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, Canada.
| | - Josephine Tan
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1L7, Canada; Sunnybrook Research Institute, 2075 Bayview Avenue, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, Canada
| | - Emmanuel Chérin
- Sunnybrook Research Institute, 2075 Bayview Avenue, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, Canada
| | - Christine E M Demore
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1L7, Canada; Sunnybrook Research Institute, 2075 Bayview Avenue, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, Canada
| | - Gang Zheng
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1L7, Canada; Princess Margaret Cancer Research Centre, 101 College St., Toronto, ON M5G 0A3, Canada
| | - David E Goertz
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1L7, Canada; Sunnybrook Research Institute, 2075 Bayview Avenue, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, Canada
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28
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Zhang Z, Chen Z, Fan L, Landry T, Brown J, Yu Z, Yin S, Wang J. Ultrasound-microbubble cavitation facilitates adeno-associated virus mediated cochlear gene transfection across the round-window membrane. Bioeng Transl Med 2021; 6:e10189. [PMID: 33532589 PMCID: PMC7823126 DOI: 10.1002/btm2.10189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2020] [Revised: 09/12/2020] [Accepted: 09/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The round window of the cochlea provides an ideal route for delivering medicines and gene therapy reagents that can cross the round window membrane (RWM) into the inner ear. Recombinant adeno-associated viruses (rAAVs) have several advantages and are recommended as viral vectors for gene transfection. However, rAAVs cannot cross an intact RWM. Consequently, ultrasound-mediated microbubble (USMB) cavitation is potentially useful, because it can sonoporate the cell membranes, and increase their permeability to large molecules. The use of USMB cavitation for drug delivery across the RWM has been tested in a few animal studies but has not been used in the context of AAV-mediated gene transfection. The currently available large size of the ultrasound probe appears to be a limiting factor in the application of this method to the RWM. In this study, we used home-made ultrasound probe with a decreased diameter to 1.5 mm, which enabled the easy positioning of the probe close to the RWM. In guinea pigs, we used this probe to determine that (1) USMB cavitation caused limited damage to the outer surface layer or the RWM, (2) an eGFP-gene carrying rAAV could effectively pass the USMB-treated RWM and reliably transfect cochlear cells, and (3) the hearing function of the cochlea remained unchanged. Our results suggest that USMB cavitation of the RWM is a good method for rAAV-mediated cochlear gene transfection with clear potential for clinical translation. We additionally discuss several advantages of the small probe size.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhen Zhang
- Otolaryngology Research Institute, 6th Affiliated HospitalJiao Tong UniversityShanghaiChina
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Sleep Disordered Breathing, 6th Affiliated Hospital, Jiao Tong UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Zhengnong Chen
- Otolaryngology Research Institute, 6th Affiliated HospitalJiao Tong UniversityShanghaiChina
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Sleep Disordered Breathing, 6th Affiliated Hospital, Jiao Tong UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Liqiang Fan
- Otolaryngology Research Institute, 6th Affiliated HospitalJiao Tong UniversityShanghaiChina
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Sleep Disordered Breathing, 6th Affiliated Hospital, Jiao Tong UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Thomas Landry
- School of Biomedical EngineeringDalhousie UniversityHalifaxCanada
| | - Jeremy Brown
- School of Biomedical EngineeringDalhousie UniversityHalifaxCanada
| | - Zhiping Yu
- School of Communication Science and DisordersDalhousie UniversityHalifaxCanada
| | - Shankai Yin
- Otolaryngology Research Institute, 6th Affiliated HospitalJiao Tong UniversityShanghaiChina
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Sleep Disordered Breathing, 6th Affiliated Hospital, Jiao Tong UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Jian Wang
- School of Communication Science and DisordersDalhousie UniversityHalifaxCanada
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29
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Batchelor DVB, Abou-Saleh RH, Coletta PL, McLaughlan JR, Peyman SA, Evans SD. Nested Nanobubbles for Ultrasound-Triggered Drug Release. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2020; 12:29085-29093. [PMID: 32501014 PMCID: PMC7333229 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.0c07022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Because of their size (1-10 μm), microbubble-based drug delivery agents suffer from confinement to the vasculature, limiting tumor penetration and potentially reducing the drug efficacy. Nanobubbles (NBs) have emerged as promising candidates for ultrasound-triggered drug delivery because of their small size, allowing drug delivery complexes to take advantage of the enhanced permeability and retention effect. In this study, we describe a simple method for production of nested-nanobubbles (Nested-NBs) by encapsulation of NBs (∼100 nm) within drug-loaded liposomes. This method combines the efficient and well-established drug-loading capabilities of liposomes while utilizing NBs as an acoustic trigger for drug release. Encapsulation was characterized using transmission electron microscopy with an encapsulation efficiency of 22 ± 2%. Nested-NBs demonstrated echogenicity using diagnostic B-mode imaging, and acoustic emissions were monitored during high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) in addition to monitoring of model drug release. Results showed that although the encapsulated NBs were destroyed by pulsed HIFU [peak negative pressure (PNP) 1.54-4.83 MPa], signified by loss of echogenicity and detection of inertial cavitation, no model drug release was observed. Changing modality to continuous wave (CW) HIFU produced release across a range of PNPs (2.01-3.90 MPa), likely because of a synergistic effect of mechanical and increased thermal stimuli. Because of this, we predict that our NBs contain a mixed population of both gaseous and liquid core particles, which upon CW HIFU undergo rapid phase conversion, triggering liposomal drug release. This hypothesis was investigated using previously described models to predict the existence of droplets and their phase change potential and the ability of this phase change to induce liposomal drug release.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Radwa H. Abou-Saleh
- Department of Physics
and Astronomy, University of Leeds, Leeds, U.K.
- Department
of Physics, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt
| | - P. Louise Coletta
- Leeds
Institute of Medical Research, Wellcome Trust Brenner Building, St. James’s University Hospital, Leeds, U.K.
| | - James. R. McLaughlan
- Leeds
Institute of Medical Research, Wellcome Trust Brenner Building, St. James’s University Hospital, Leeds, U.K.
- School
of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, University of Leeds, Leeds, U.K.
| | - Sally A. Peyman
- Department of Physics
and Astronomy, University of Leeds, Leeds, U.K.
- Leeds
Institute of Medical Research, Wellcome Trust Brenner Building, St. James’s University Hospital, Leeds, U.K.
| | - Stephen D. Evans
- Department of Physics
and Astronomy, University of Leeds, Leeds, U.K.
- . Phone/Fax: (+44) (0)113 343 3852
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30
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Nittayacharn P, Abenojar E, De Leon A, Wegierak D, Exner AA. Increasing Doxorubicin Loading in Lipid-Shelled Perfluoropropane Nanobubbles via a Simple Deprotonation Strategy. Front Pharmacol 2020; 11:644. [PMID: 32477125 PMCID: PMC7235281 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2020.00644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2019] [Accepted: 04/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Drug delivery to solid tumors using echogenic nanobubbles (NBs) and ultrasound (US) has recently gained significant interest. The approach combines attributes of nanomedicine and the enhanced permeation and retention (EPR) effect with the documented benefits of ultrasound to improve tumor drug distribution and treatment outcomes. However, optimized drug loading strategies, the drug-carrying capacity of NBs and their drug delivery efficiency have not been explored in depth and remain unclear. Here, we report for the first time on the development of a novel deprotonated hydrophobic doxorubicin-loaded C3F8 nanobubble (hDox-NB) for more effective US-mediated drug delivery. In this study, the size distribution and yield of hDox-NBs were measured via resonant mass measurement, while their drug-loading capacity was determined using a centrifugal filter technique. In vitro acoustic properties including contrast-imaging enhancement, initial echogenic signal, and decay were assessed and compared to doxorubicin hydrochloride loaded-NBs (Dox.HCl-NBs). In addition, in vitro therapeutic efficacy of hDox-NBs was evaluated by cytotoxicity assay in human ovarian cancer cells (OVCAR-3). The results showed that the hDox-NBs were small (300.7 ± 4.6 nm), and the drug loading content was significantly enhanced (2 fold higher) compared to Dox.HCl-NBs. Unexpectedly, the in vitro acoustic performance was also improved by inclusion of hDox into NBs. hDox-NB showed higher initial US signal and a reduced signal decay rate compared to Dox.HCl-NBs. Furthermore, hDox-NBs combined with higher intensity US exhibited an excellent therapeutic efficacy in human ovarian cancer cells as shown in a reduction in cell viability. These results suggest that hDox-NBs could be considered as a promising theranostic agent to achieve a more effective noninvasive US-mediated drug delivery for cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pinunta Nittayacharn
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States
| | - Eric Abenojar
- Department of Radiology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States
| | - Al De Leon
- Department of Radiology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States
| | - Dana Wegierak
- Department of Physics, Ryerson University, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Agata A Exner
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States.,Department of Radiology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States
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31
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Perera RH, de Leon A, Wang X, Wang Y, Ramamurthy G, Peiris P, Abenojar E, Basilion JP, Exner AA. Real time ultrasound molecular imaging of prostate cancer with PSMA-targeted nanobubbles. NANOMEDICINE-NANOTECHNOLOGY BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE 2020; 28:102213. [PMID: 32348874 DOI: 10.1016/j.nano.2020.102213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2019] [Revised: 01/10/2020] [Accepted: 04/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Contrast-enhanced ultrasound with microbubbles has shown promise in detection of prostate cancer (PCa), but sensitivity and specificity remain challenging. Targeted nanoscale-contrast agents with improved capability to accumulate in tumors may result in prolonged signal enhancement and improved detection of PCa with ultrasound. Here we report nanobubbles (NB) that specifically targets prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA) overexpressed in PCa. The PSMA-targeted-NB (PSMA-NB) were utilized to simultaneously image dual-flank PCa (PSMA-positive PC3pip and PSMA-negative PC3flu) to examine whether the biomarker can be successfully detected and imaged in a mouse model. Results demonstrate that active targeting rapidly and selectively enhances tumor accumulation and tumor retention. Importantly, these processes could be visualized and quantified, in real-time, with clinical ultrasound. Such demonstration of the immense yet underutilized potential of ultrasound in the molecular imaging area can open the door to future opportunities for improving sensitivity and specificity of cancer detection using parametric NB-enhanced ultrasound imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reshani H Perera
- Department of Radiology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA.
| | - Al de Leon
- Department of Radiology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA.
| | - Xinning Wang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA.
| | - Yu Wang
- Department of Radiology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA.
| | - Gopal Ramamurthy
- Department of Radiology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA.
| | - Pubudu Peiris
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA.
| | - Eric Abenojar
- Department of Radiology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA.
| | - James P Basilion
- Department of Radiology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA.
| | - Agata A Exner
- Department of Radiology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA.
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32
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Han Y, Xu X, Liu F, Wei W, Liu Z. Study of the theory of microbubble bursting to obtain bio-inspired alginate nanoparticles. Colloids Surf A Physicochem Eng Asp 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfa.2020.124494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
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33
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Kida H, Nishimura K, Ogawa K, Watanabe A, Feril LB, Irie Y, Endo H, Kawakami S, Tachibana K. Nanobubble Mediated Gene Delivery in Conjunction With a Hand-Held Ultrasound Scanner. Front Pharmacol 2020; 11:363. [PMID: 32300298 PMCID: PMC7145407 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2020.00363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2019] [Accepted: 03/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent research has revealed that nanobubbles (NBs) can be an effective tool for gene transfection in conjunction with therapeutic ultrasound (US). However, an approach to apply commercially available hand-held diagnostic US scanners for this purpose has not been evaluated as of now. In the present study, we first compared in vitro, the efficiency of gene transfer (pCMV-Luciferase) with lipid-based and albumin-based NBs irradiated by therapeutic US (1MHz, 5.0 W/cm2) in oral squamous carcinoma cell line HSC-2. Secondly, we similarly examined if gene transfer in mice is possible using a clinical hand-held US scanner (2.3MHz, MI 1.0). Results showed that lipid-based NBs induced more gene transfection compared to albumin-based NBs, in vitro. Furthermore, significant gene transfer was also obtained in mice liver with lipid-based NBs. Sub-micro sized bubbles proved to be a powerful gene transfer reagent in combination with conventional hand-held ultrasonic diagnostic device.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroshi Kida
- Department of Anatomy, Fukuoka University School of Medicine, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Koyo Nishimura
- Department of Pharmaceutical Informatics, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Koki Ogawa
- Department of Pharmaceutical Informatics, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Akiko Watanabe
- Department of Anatomy, Fukuoka University School of Medicine, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Loreto B Feril
- Department of Anatomy, Fukuoka University School of Medicine, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Yutaka Irie
- Department of Anatomy, Fukuoka University School of Medicine, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Hitomi Endo
- Department of Anatomy, Fukuoka University School of Medicine, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Shigeru Kawakami
- Department of Pharmaceutical Informatics, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Katsuro Tachibana
- Department of Anatomy, Fukuoka University School of Medicine, Fukuoka, Japan
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34
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Theoretical and Experimental Gas Volume Quantification of Micro- and Nanobubble Ultrasound Contrast Agents. Pharmaceutics 2020; 12:pharmaceutics12030208. [PMID: 32121484 PMCID: PMC7150797 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics12030208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2019] [Revised: 02/21/2020] [Accepted: 02/25/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The amount of gas in ultrasound contrast agents is related to their acoustic activity. Because of this relationship, gas volume has been used as a key variable in normalizing the in vitro and in vivo acoustic behavior of lipid shell-stabilized bubbles with different sizes and shell components. Despite its importance, bubble gas volume has typically only been theoretically calculated based on bubble size and concentration that is typically measured using the Coulter counter for microbubbles and nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA) for nanoscale bubbles. However, while these methods have been validated for the analysis of liquid or solid particles, their application in bubble analysis has not been rigorously studied. We have previously shown that resonant mass measurement (RMM) may be a better-suited technique for sub-micron bubble analysis, as it can measure both buoyant and non-buoyant particle size and concentration. Here, we provide validation of RMM bubble analysis by using headspace gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) to experimentally measure the gas volume of the bubble samples. This measurement was then used as ground truth to test the accuracy of theoretical gas volume predictions based on RMM, NTA (for nanobubbles), and Coulter counter (for microbubbles) measurements. The results show that the headspace GC/MS gas volume measurements agreed well with the theoretical predictions for the RMM of nanobubbles but not NTA. For nanobubbles, the theoretical gas volume using RMM was 10% lower than the experimental GC/MS measurements; meanwhile, using NTA resulted in an 82% lower predicted gas volume. For microbubbles, the experimental gas volume from the GC/MS measurements was 27% lower compared to RMM and 72% less compared to the Coulter counter results. This study demonstrates that the gas volume of nanobubbles and microbubbles can be reliably measured using headspace GC/MS to validate bubble size measurement techniques. We also conclude that the accuracy of theoretical predictions is highly dependent on proper size and concentration measurements.
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Khan AH, Dalvi SV. Kinetics of albumin microbubble dissolution in aqueous media. SOFT MATTER 2020; 16:2149-2163. [PMID: 32016261 DOI: 10.1039/c9sm01516g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The effectiveness of microbubbles as ultrasound contrast agents and targeted drug delivery vehicles depends on their persistence in blood. It is therefore necessary to understand the dissolution behavior of microbubbles in an aqueous medium. While there are several reports available in the literature on the dissolution of lipid microbubbles, there are no reports available on the dissolution kinetics of protein microbubbles. Moreover, shell parameters such as interfacial tension, shell resistance and shell elasticity/stiffness which characterize microbubble shells, have been reported for lipid shells but no such data are available for protein shells. Accordingly, this work was focused on capturing the dissolution behavior of protein microbubbles and estimation of shell parameters such as surface tension, shell resistance and shell elasticity. Bovine serum albumin (BSA) was used as a model protein and microbubbles were synthesized using sonication. During dissolution, a large portion of the protein shell was found to disengage from the gas-liquid interface after a stagnant dissolution phase, leading to a sudden disappearance of the microbubbles due to complete dissolution. In order to estimate shell parameters, microbubble dissolution kinetic data (radius vs. time) was fit numerically to a mass transfer model describing a microbubble dissolution process. Analysis of the results shows that the interfacial tension increases drastically and the shell resistance reduces significantly, as protein molecules leave the gas-liquid interface. Furthermore, the effect of processing conditions such as preheating temperature, microbubble size, and core gas and shell composition on the protein shell parameters was also evaluated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaqib H Khan
- Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar, Palaj, Gandhinagar 382355, Gujarat, India.
| | - Sameer V Dalvi
- Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar, Palaj, Gandhinagar 382355, Gujarat, India.
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Li T, Hu Z, Wang C, Yang J, Zeng C, Fan R, Guo J. PD-L1-targeted microbubbles loaded with docetaxel produce a synergistic effect for the treatment of lung cancer under ultrasound irradiation. Biomater Sci 2020; 8:1418-1430. [PMID: 31942578 DOI: 10.1039/c9bm01575b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Immunotherapy is gradually becoming as important as traditional therapy in the treatment of cancer, but adverse drug reactions limit patient benefits from PD1/PD-L1 checkpoint inhibitor drugs in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). As a chemotherapeutic drug for NSCLC, docetaxel (DTX) can synergize with PD1/PD-L1 checkpoint inhibitors but increase haematoxicity and neurotoxicity. Herein, anti-PD-L1 monoclonal antibody (mAb)-conjugated and docetaxel-loaded multifunctional lipid-shelled microbubbles (PDMs), which were designed with biologically safe phospholipids to produce synergistic antitumour effects, reduced the incidence of side effects and promoted therapeutic effects under ultrasound (US) irradiation. The PDMs were prepared by the acoustic-vibration method and then conjugated with an anti-PD-L1 mAb. The material features of the microbubbles and their cytotoxic effects, cellular apoptosis and cell cycle inhibition were studied. A subcutaneous tumour model was established to test the drug concentration-dependent and antitumour effects of the PDMs combined with US irradiation, and an orthotopic lung tumour model simultaneously confirmed the antitumour effect of this synergistic treatment. The PDMs achieved higher cellular uptake than free DTX, especially when combined with US irradiation. The PDMs combined with US irradiation also induced an increased rate of cellular apoptosis and an elevated G2-M arrest rate in cancer cells, which was positively correlated with PD-L1 expression. An in vivo study showed that synergistic treatment had relatively strong effects on tumour growth inhibition, increased survival time and decreased adverse effect rates. Our study possibly provides a well-controlled design for immunotherapy and chemotherapy and has promising potential for clinical application in NSCLC treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiankuan Li
- Center of Interventional Radiology and Vascular Surgery, Department of Radiology, Zhongda Hospital, Medical School, Southeast University, Nanjing, China.
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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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38
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de Leon A, Perera R, Hernandez C, Cooley M, Jung O, Jeganathan S, Abenojar E, Fishbein G, Sojahrood AJ, Emerson CC, Stewart PL, Kolios MC, Exner AA. Contrast enhanced ultrasound imaging by nature-inspired ultrastable echogenic nanobubbles. NANOSCALE 2019; 11:15647-15658. [PMID: 31408083 PMCID: PMC6716144 DOI: 10.1039/c9nr04828f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Advancement of ultrasound molecular imaging applications requires not only a reduction in size of the ultrasound contrast agents (UCAs) but also a significant improvement in the in vivo stability of the shell-stabilized gas bubble. The transition from first generation to second generation UCAs was marked by an advancement in stability as air was replaced by a hydrophobic gas, such as perfluoropropane and sulfur hexafluoride. Further improvement can be realized by focusing on how well the UCAs shell can retain the encapsulated gas under extreme mechanical deformations. Here we report the next generation of UCAs for which we engineered the shell structure to impart much better stability under repeated prolonged oscillation due to ultrasound, and large changes in shear and turbulence as it circulates within the body. By adapting an architecture with two layers of contrasting elastic properties similar to bacterial cell envelopes, our ultrastable nanobubbles (NBs) withstand continuous in vitro exposure to ultrasound with minimal signal decay and have a significant delay on the onset of in vivo signal decay in kidney, liver, and tumor. Development of ultrastable NBs can potentially expand the role of ultrasound in molecular imaging, theranostics, and drug delivery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Al de Leon
- Department of Radiology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.
| | - Reshani Perera
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Christopher Hernandez
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Michaela Cooley
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Olive Jung
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Selva Jeganathan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Eric Abenojar
- Department of Radiology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.
| | - Grace Fishbein
- Department of Physics, Ryerson University, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | | | - Corey C Emerson
- Department of Pharmacology and Cleveland Center for Membrane and Structural Biology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, USA
| | - Phoebe L Stewart
- Department of Pharmacology and Cleveland Center for Membrane and Structural Biology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, USA
| | | | - Agata A Exner
- Department of Radiology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA. and Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
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Nittayacharn P, Yuan HX, Hernandez C, Bielecki P, Zhou H, Exner AA. Enhancing Tumor Drug Distribution With Ultrasound-Triggered Nanobubbles. J Pharm Sci 2019; 108:3091-3098. [PMID: 31095958 PMCID: PMC6708467 DOI: 10.1016/j.xphs.2019.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2018] [Revised: 04/30/2019] [Accepted: 05/07/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Issues with limited intratumoral drug penetration and heterogeneous drug distribution continue to impede the therapeutic efficacy of nanomedicine-based delivery systems. Ultrasound (US)-enhanced drug delivery has emerged as one effective means of overcoming these challenges. Acoustic cavitation in the presence of nanoparticles has shown to increase the cellular uptake and distribution of chemotherapeutic agents in vivo. In this study, we investigated the potential of a drug-loaded echogenic nanoscale bubbles in combination with low frequency (3 MHz), high energy (2 W/cm2) US for antitumor therapy. The doxorubicin-loaded nanobubbles (Dox-NBs) stabilized with an interpenetrating polymer mesh were 171.5 ± 20.9 nm in diameter. When used in combination with therapeutic US, Dox-NBs combined with free drug showed significantly higher (*p < 0.05) intracellular uptake and therapeutic efficacy compared with free drug. When injected intravenously in vivo, Dox-NBs + therapeutic US showed significantly higher (*p < 0.05) accumulation and better distribution of Dox in tumors when compared with free drug. This strategy provides an effective and simple method to increase the local dose and distribution of otherwise systemically toxic chemotherapeutic agents for cancer therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pinunta Nittayacharn
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44106
| | - Hai-Xia Yuan
- Department of Ultrasound, Zhongshan Hospital of Fudan University, 180 Fenglin Road, Shanghai 200032, China; Department of Radiology, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44106
| | - Christopher Hernandez
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44106
| | - Peter Bielecki
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44106
| | - Haoyan Zhou
- GSK 1250 S. Collegeville Road, Collegeville, Pennsylvania 19426-0989
| | - Agata A Exner
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44106; Department of Radiology, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44106.
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