Applications of Ultrasound-Mediated Drug Delivery and Gene Therapy

Abstract

Gene therapy has continuously evolved throughout the years since its first proposal to develop more specific and effective transfection, capable of treating a myriad of health conditions. Viral vectors are some of the most common and most efficient vehicles for gene transfer. However, the safe and effective delivery of gene therapy remains a major obstacle. Ultrasound contrast agents in the form of microbubbles have provided a unique solution to fulfill the need to shield the vectors from the host immune system and the need for site specific targeted therapy. Since the discovery of the biophysical and biological effects of microbubble sonification, multiple developments have been made to enhance its applicability in targeted drug delivery. The concurrent development of viral vectors and recent research on dual vector strategies have shown promising results. This review will explore the mechanisms and recent advancements in the knowledge of ultrasound-mediated microbubbles in targeting gene and drug therapy.

Efficacy optimization of low frequency microbubble-mediated sonoporation as a drug delivery platform to cancer cells

“…Sonoporation is a growing field which has documented advantages over other delivery methods such as electroporation and viral vectors ( Juffermans et al, 2001 ). The clinical applications of sonoporation include drug and gene delivery for different cell types and locations ( Ilovitsh et al, 2020 ; Dreher et al, 2006 ; Wang et al, 2016 ; Sitta and Howard, 2021 ; Lin et al, 2010 ; Karki et al, 2019 ; Xu et al, 2014 ). To enhance this therapeutic platform, a better understanding of the relationship between the insonation parameters and the delivered material size is crucial.…”

“Genetic scissors” CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing cutting-edge biocarrier technology for bone and cartilage repair

“…Lipid bilayers are capable of directly converting acoustic energy into mechanical stress and strain at the subcellular and cellular levels [51] , a) , b) . High-energy ultrasonic produces local shear in the extracellular fluid, inducing the formation of pores in the cell membrane and increasing the permeability to DNA or RNA [52] , a) , b) . Ultrasonic methods can be safely used in vivo due to their non-invasive nature and are currently used in clinical cases [ 53 ].…”

Ultrasound Responsive Smart Implantable Hydrogels for Targeted Delivery of Drugs: Reviewing Current Practices

“…109,110 In comparison to current disease treatments, such as chemotherapy, cell or gene therapy, and US-triggered therapy has the potential to raise the concentration of therapeutic agents in targeted tissues while minimizing biotoxicity. 111 Ultrasonography is one of the most extensively utilized techniques because of its advantages in real-time, portability, noninvasiveness, and low cost. Another outstanding feature of US is its ability to penetrate deeper into tissue than light.…”