Ultrasound-stimulated, drug-loaded bubbles for cancer therapy

Abstract

Non-invasive, focused ultrasound in combination with microbubbles have previously been used for targeted drug delivery. Focused ultrasound-stimulated microbubbles can increase local tumour blood vessel permeability such that co-injected chemotherapeutics can diffuse preferentially into tumour tissue. Focused ultrasound and microbubbles have also been used to initiate other local bioeffects, for example, to damage tumour vessels for mechanically induced vascular disruption therapy, which can profoundly increase the efficacy of a variety of anticancer drugs. In this talk, the development of new acoustically-active bubbles that are capable of carrying and releasing therapeutic concentrations of hydrophobic and hydrophilic chemotherapeutic drugs will be introduced. Agents that are entirely composed of FDA-approved components are preferred as they may permit expedited translation into clinical use. Trade-offs among size, stability, drug-loading, and in vivo performance between bubble variants will be overviewed. Challenges and opportunities identified through recent efforts towards achieving cancer therapy potentiation in small animal cancer models will also be discussed.