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Snipstad S, Einen C, Kastellet AB, Fernandez JL, Mühlenpfordt M, Kurbatskaya A, Årseth C, Berg S, Bjørkøy A, Davies CDL. Ultrasound and Microbubble-Induced Reduction of Functional Vasculature Depends on the Microbubble, Tumor Type and Time After Treatment. ULTRASOUND IN MEDICINE & BIOLOGY 2024:S0301-5629(24)00337-5. [PMID: 39389855 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2024.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2024] [Revised: 08/15/2024] [Accepted: 09/05/2024] [Indexed: 10/12/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Ultrasound in combination with microbubbles can enhance accumulation and improve the distribution of various therapeutic agents in tumor tissue, leading to improved efficacy. Understanding the impact of treatment on the tumor microenvironment, concurrently with how microenvironment attributes affect treatment outcome, will be important for selecting appropriate patient cohorts in future clinical trials. The main aim of this work was to investigate the influence of ultrasound and microbubbles on the functional vasculature of cancer tissue. METHODS Four different tumor models in mice (bone, pancreatic, breast and colon cancer) were characterized with respect to vascular parameters using contrast-enhanced ultrasound imaging. The effect of treatment with microbubbles and ultrasound was then investigated using immunohistochemistry and confocal microscopy, quantifying the total amount of vasculature and fraction of functional vessels. Two different microbubbles were used, the clinical contrast agent SonoVue and the large bubbles generated by Acoustic Cluster Therapy (ACT), tailored for therapeutic purposes. RESULTS The colon cancer model displayed slower flow but a higher vascular volume than the other models. The pancreatic model showed the fastest flow but also the lowest vascular volume. Ultrasound and SonoVue transiently reduced the amount of functional vasculature in breast and colon tumors immediately after treatment. No reduction was observed for ACT, likely due to shorter ultrasound pulses and lower pressures applied. CONCLUSION Variation between tumor models due to tissue characteristics emphasizes the importance of evaluating treatment suitability in the specific tissue of interest, as altered perfusion could have a large impact on drug delivery and therapeutic outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofie Snipstad
- Department of Physics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway; Cancer Clinic, St. Olav's Hospital, Trondheim, Norway.
| | - Caroline Einen
- Porelab and Department of Physics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Andrea Berge Kastellet
- Department of Physics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Jessica Lage Fernandez
- Department of Physics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Melina Mühlenpfordt
- Department of Physics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Anna Kurbatskaya
- Department of Physics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Charlotte Årseth
- Department of Physics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Sigrid Berg
- Department of Health Research, SINTEF Digital, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Astrid Bjørkøy
- Department of Physics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
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Fuenteslópez CV, Gray M, Bahcevanci S, Martin A, Smith CAB, Coussios C, Cui Z, Ye H, Patrulea V. Mesenchymal stem cell cryopreservation with cavitation-mediated trehalose treatment. COMMUNICATIONS ENGINEERING 2024; 3:129. [PMID: 39251849 PMCID: PMC11385975 DOI: 10.1038/s44172-024-00265-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2024] [Accepted: 08/08/2024] [Indexed: 09/11/2024]
Abstract
Dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) has conventionally been used for cell cryopreservation both in research and in clinical applications, but has long-term cytotoxic effects. Trehalose, a natural disaccharide, has been proposed as a non-toxic cryoprotectant. However, the lack of specific cell membrane transporter receptors inhibits transmembrane transport and severely limits its cryoprotective capability. This research presents a method to successfully deliver trehalose into mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) using ultrasound in the presence of microbubbles. The optimised trehalose concentration was shown to be able to not only preserve membrane integrity and cell viability but also the multipotency of MSCs, which are essential for stem cell therapy. Confocal imaging revealed that rhodamine-labelled trehalose was transported into cells rather than simply attached to the membrane. Additionally, the membranes were successfully preserved in lyophilised cells. This study demonstrates that ultrasonication with microbubbles facilitated trehalose delivery, offering promising cryoprotective capability without the cytotoxicity associated with DMSO-based methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carla V Fuenteslópez
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Michael Gray
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Simge Bahcevanci
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Alexander Martin
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Cameron A B Smith
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Constantin Coussios
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Zhanfeng Cui
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Hua Ye
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
| | - Viorica Patrulea
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Western Switzerland, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
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Lyons B, Balkaran JPR, Dunn-Lawless D, Lucian V, Keller SB, O’Reilly CS, Hu L, Rubasingham J, Nair M, Carlisle R, Stride E, Gray M, Coussios C. Sonosensitive Cavitation Nuclei-A Customisable Platform Technology for Enhanced Therapeutic Delivery. Molecules 2023; 28:7733. [PMID: 38067464 PMCID: PMC10708135 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28237733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2023] [Revised: 11/14/2023] [Accepted: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Ultrasound-mediated cavitation shows great promise for improving targeted drug delivery across a range of clinical applications. Cavitation nuclei-sound-sensitive constructs that enhance cavitation activity at lower pressures-have become a powerful adjuvant to ultrasound-based treatments, and more recently emerged as a drug delivery vehicle in their own right. The unique combination of physical, biological, and chemical effects that occur around these structures, as well as their varied compositions and morphologies, make cavitation nuclei an attractive platform for creating delivery systems tuned to particular therapeutics. In this review, we describe the structure and function of cavitation nuclei, approaches to their functionalization and customization, various clinical applications, progress toward real-world translation, and future directions for the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian Lyons
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PJ, UK; (J.P.R.B.); (D.D.-L.); (V.L.); (S.B.K.); (L.H.); (J.R.); (M.N.); (R.C.); (E.S.); (M.G.)
| | - Joel P. R. Balkaran
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PJ, UK; (J.P.R.B.); (D.D.-L.); (V.L.); (S.B.K.); (L.H.); (J.R.); (M.N.); (R.C.); (E.S.); (M.G.)
| | - Darcy Dunn-Lawless
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PJ, UK; (J.P.R.B.); (D.D.-L.); (V.L.); (S.B.K.); (L.H.); (J.R.); (M.N.); (R.C.); (E.S.); (M.G.)
| | - Veronica Lucian
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PJ, UK; (J.P.R.B.); (D.D.-L.); (V.L.); (S.B.K.); (L.H.); (J.R.); (M.N.); (R.C.); (E.S.); (M.G.)
| | - Sara B. Keller
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PJ, UK; (J.P.R.B.); (D.D.-L.); (V.L.); (S.B.K.); (L.H.); (J.R.); (M.N.); (R.C.); (E.S.); (M.G.)
| | - Colm S. O’Reilly
- Botnar Research Centre, Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences (NDORMS), University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PJ, UK;
| | - Luna Hu
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PJ, UK; (J.P.R.B.); (D.D.-L.); (V.L.); (S.B.K.); (L.H.); (J.R.); (M.N.); (R.C.); (E.S.); (M.G.)
| | - Jeffrey Rubasingham
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PJ, UK; (J.P.R.B.); (D.D.-L.); (V.L.); (S.B.K.); (L.H.); (J.R.); (M.N.); (R.C.); (E.S.); (M.G.)
| | - Malavika Nair
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PJ, UK; (J.P.R.B.); (D.D.-L.); (V.L.); (S.B.K.); (L.H.); (J.R.); (M.N.); (R.C.); (E.S.); (M.G.)
| | - Robert Carlisle
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PJ, UK; (J.P.R.B.); (D.D.-L.); (V.L.); (S.B.K.); (L.H.); (J.R.); (M.N.); (R.C.); (E.S.); (M.G.)
| | - Eleanor Stride
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PJ, UK; (J.P.R.B.); (D.D.-L.); (V.L.); (S.B.K.); (L.H.); (J.R.); (M.N.); (R.C.); (E.S.); (M.G.)
| | - Michael Gray
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PJ, UK; (J.P.R.B.); (D.D.-L.); (V.L.); (S.B.K.); (L.H.); (J.R.); (M.N.); (R.C.); (E.S.); (M.G.)
| | - Constantin Coussios
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PJ, UK; (J.P.R.B.); (D.D.-L.); (V.L.); (S.B.K.); (L.H.); (J.R.); (M.N.); (R.C.); (E.S.); (M.G.)
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Maardalen M, Carlisle R, Coussios C. Cavitation-Mediated Immunomodulation and Its Use with Checkpoint Inhibitors. Pharmaceutics 2023; 15:2110. [PMID: 37631324 PMCID: PMC10458634 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15082110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Revised: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 08/05/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The promotion of anti-tumour immune responses can be an effective route to the complete remission of primary and metastatic tumours in a small proportion of patients. Hence, researchers are currently investigating various methods to further characterise and enhance such responses to achieve a beneficial impact across a wider range of patients. Due to its non-invasive, non-ionising, and targetable nature, the application of ultrasound-mediated cavitation has proven to be a popular method to enhance the delivery and activity of immune checkpoint inhibitors. However, to optimise this approach, it is important to understand the biological and physical mechanisms by which cavitation may promote anti-tumour immune responses. Here, the published literature relating to the role that cavitation may play in modulating anti-tumour immunity is therefore assessed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matilde Maardalen
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PJ, UK
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Khan F, Jones K, Lyon P. Immune checkpoint inhibition: a future guided by radiology. Br J Radiol 2023; 96:20220565. [PMID: 36752570 PMCID: PMC10321249 DOI: 10.1259/bjr.20220565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Revised: 01/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The limitation of the function of antitumour immune cells is a common hallmark of cancers that enables their survival. As such, the potential of immune checkpoint inhibition (ICI) acts as a paradigm shift in the treatment of a range of cancers but has not yet been fully capitalised. Combining minimally and non-invasive locoregional therapies offered by radiologists with ICI is now an active field of research with the aim of furthering therapeutic capabilities in medical oncology. In parallel to this impending advancement, the "imaging toolbox" available to radiologists is also growing, enabling more refined tumour characterisation as well as greater accuracy in evaluating responses to therapy. Options range from metabolite labelling to cellular localisation to immune checkpoint screening. It is foreseeable that these novel imaging techniques will be integrated into personalised treatment algorithms. This growth in the field must include updating the current standardised imaging criteria to ensure they are fit for purpose. Such criteria is crucial to both appropriately guide clinical decision-making regarding next steps of treatment, but also provide reliable prognosis. Quantitative approaches to these novel imaging techniques are also already being investigated to further optimise personalised therapeutic decision-making. The therapeutic potential of specific ICIs and locoregional therapies could be determined before administration thus limiting unnecessary side-effects whilst maintaining efficacy. Several radiological aspects of oncological care are advancing simultaneously. Therefore, it is essential that each development is assessed for clinical use and optimised to ensure the best treatment decisions are being offered to the patient. In this review, we discuss state of the art advances in novel functional imaging techniques in the field of immuno-oncology both pre-clinically and clinically.
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Affiliation(s)
- Faraaz Khan
- Foundation Doctor, Buckinghamshire Hospitals NHS Trust, Amersham, Buckinghamshire, United Kingdom
| | - Keaton Jones
- Academic Clinical Lecturer Nuffield Department of Surgical Sciences University of Oxford, Wellington Square, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Paul Lyon
- Consultant Radiologist, Department of Radiology, Oxford University Hospitals, Headington, Oxford, United Kingdom
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Imran KM, Tintera B, Morrison HA, Tupik JD, Nagai-Singer MA, Ivester H, Council-Troche M, Edwards M, Coutermarsh-Ott S, Byron C, Clark-Deener S, Uh K, Lee K, Boulos P, Rowe C, Coviello C, Allen IC. Improved Therapeutic Delivery Targeting Clinically Relevant Orthotopic Human Pancreatic Tumors Engrafted in Immunocompromised Pigs Using Ultrasound-Induced Cavitation: A Pilot Study. Pharmaceutics 2023; 15:1585. [PMID: 37376034 PMCID: PMC10302458 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15061585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2023] [Revised: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic tumors can be resistant to drug penetration due to high interstitial fluid pressure, dense stroma, and disarrayed vasculature. Ultrasound-induced cavitation is an emerging technology that may overcome many of these limitations. Low-intensity ultrasound, coupled with co-administered cavitation nuclei consisting of gas-stabilizing sub-micron scale SonoTran Particles, is effective at increasing therapeutic antibody delivery to xenograft flank tumors in mouse models. Here, we sought to evaluate the effectiveness of this approach in situ using a large animal model that mimics human pancreatic cancer patients. Immunocompromised pigs were surgically engrafted with human Panc-1 pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) tumors in targeted regions of the pancreas. These tumors were found to recapitulate many features of human PDAC tumors. Animals were intravenously injected with the common cancer therapeutics Cetuximab, gemcitabine, and paclitaxel, followed by infusion with SonoTran Particles. Select tumors in each animal were targeted with focused ultrasound to induce cavitation. Cavitation increased the intra-tumor concentrations of Cetuximab, gemcitabine, and paclitaxel by 477%, 148%, and 193%, respectively, compared to tumors that were not targeted with ultrasound in the same animals. Together, these data show that ultrasound-mediated cavitation, when delivered in combination with gas-entrapping particles, improves therapeutic delivery in pancreatic tumors under clinically relevant conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khan Mohammad Imran
- Graduate Program in Translational Biology, Medicine and Health, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Roanoke, VA 24061, USA
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| | - Benjamin Tintera
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| | - Holly A. Morrison
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| | - Juselyn D. Tupik
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| | - Margaret A. Nagai-Singer
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| | - Hannah Ivester
- Graduate Program in Translational Biology, Medicine and Health, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Roanoke, VA 24061, USA
| | - McAlister Council-Troche
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| | - Michael Edwards
- Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| | - Sheryl Coutermarsh-Ott
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| | - Christopher Byron
- Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| | - Sherrie Clark-Deener
- Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| | - Kyungjun Uh
- Division of Animal Science, College of Agriculture Food and Natural Resources, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
| | - Kiho Lee
- Division of Animal Science, College of Agriculture Food and Natural Resources, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
| | - Paul Boulos
- OxSonics Therapeutics, Oxford Science Park, Oxford OX4 4GA, UK
| | - Cliff Rowe
- OxSonics Therapeutics, Oxford Science Park, Oxford OX4 4GA, UK
| | | | - Irving C. Allen
- Graduate Program in Translational Biology, Medicine and Health, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Roanoke, VA 24061, USA
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
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Masiero M, Boulos P, Crake C, Rowe C, Coviello CM. Ultrasound-induced cavitation and passive acoustic mapping: SonoTran platform performance and short-term safety in a large-animal model. ULTRASOUND IN MEDICINE & BIOLOGY 2022; 48:1681-1690. [PMID: 35577660 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2022.03.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2021] [Revised: 02/16/2022] [Accepted: 03/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Ultrasound-induced cavitation is currently under investigation for several potential applications in cancer treatment. Among these, the use of low-intensity ultrasound, coupled with the systemic administration of various cavitation nuclei, has been found to enhance the delivery of co-administered therapeutics into solid tumors. Effective pharmacological treatment of solid tumors is often hampered, among various factors, by the limited diffusion of drugs from the bloodstream into the neoplastic mass and through it, and SonoTran holds the potential to tackle this clinical limitation by increasing the amount of drug and its distribution within the ultrasound-targeted tumor tissue. Here we use a clinically ready system (SonoTran Platform) composed of a dedicated ultrasound device (SonoTran System) capable of instigating, detecting and displaying cavitation events in real time by passive acoustic mapping and associated cavitation nuclei (SonoTran Particles), to instigate cavitation in target tissues and illustrate its performance and safety in a large-animal model. This study found that cavitation can be safely triggered and mapped at different tissue depths and in different organs. No adverse effects were associated with infusion of SonoTran Particles, and ultrasound-induced cavitation caused no tissue damage in clinically targetable organs (e.g., liver) for up to 1 h. These data provide evidence of cavitation initiation and monitoring performance of the SonoTran System and the safety of controlled cavitation in a large-animal model using a clinic-ready platform technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Massimo Masiero
- OxSonics Limited, The Magdalen Centre, Robert Robinson Avenue, Oxford OX4 4GA, United Kingdom
| | - Paul Boulos
- OxSonics Limited, The Magdalen Centre, Robert Robinson Avenue, Oxford OX4 4GA, United Kingdom
| | - Calum Crake
- OxSonics Limited, The Magdalen Centre, Robert Robinson Avenue, Oxford OX4 4GA, United Kingdom
| | - Cliff Rowe
- OxSonics Limited, The Magdalen Centre, Robert Robinson Avenue, Oxford OX4 4GA, United Kingdom
| | - Christian M Coviello
- OxSonics Limited, The Magdalen Centre, Robert Robinson Avenue, Oxford OX4 4GA, United Kingdom.
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Sabuncu S, Yildirim A. Gas-stabilizing nanoparticles for ultrasound imaging and therapy of cancer. NANO CONVERGENCE 2021; 8:39. [PMID: 34851458 PMCID: PMC8636532 DOI: 10.1186/s40580-021-00287-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2021] [Accepted: 11/05/2021] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
The use of ultrasound in the clinic has been long established for cancer detection and image-guided tissue biopsies. In addition, ultrasound-based methods have been widely explored to develop more effective cancer therapies such as localized drug delivery, sonodynamic therapy, and focused ultrasound surgery. Stabilized fluorocarbon microbubbles have been in use as contrast agents for ultrasound imaging in the clinic for several decades. It is also known that microbubble cavitation could generate thermal, mechanical, and chemical effects in the tissue to improve ultrasound-based therapies. However, the large size, poor stability, and short-term cavitation activity of microbubbles limit their applications in cancer imaging and therapy. This review will focus on an alternative type of ultrasound responsive material; gas-stabilizing nanoparticles, which can address the limitations of microbubbles with their nanoscale size, robustness, and high cavitation activity. This review will be of interest to researchers who wish to explore new agents to develop improved methods for molecular ultrasound imaging and therapy of cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sinan Sabuncu
- CEDAR, Knight Cancer Institute, School of Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, 97201, USA
| | - Adem Yildirim
- CEDAR, Knight Cancer Institute, School of Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, 97201, USA.
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