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A review of ultrasound-mediated microbubbles technology for cancer therapy: a vehicle for chemotherapeutic drug delivery

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 August 2019

Ernest Osei Open the ORCID record for Ernest Osei [Opens in a new window]  and
Aladdin Al-Asady
Ernest Osei*
Affiliation:
Department of Medical Physics, Grand River Regional Cancer Centre, Kitchener, ON, Canada Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada Department of Systems Design Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada Department of Clinical Studies, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, ONCanada
Aladdin Al-Asady
Affiliation:
Department of Medical Physics, Grand River Regional Cancer Centre, Kitchener, ON, Canada
*
Author for Correspondence: Ernest Osei, Department of Medical Physics, Grand River Regional Cancer Centre, 835 King Street West, Kitchener, N2G 1G3 Ontario, Canada. E-mail: [email protected]
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Abstract

Background:

The unique behaviour of microbubbles under ultrasound acoustic pressure makes them useful agents for drug and gene delivery. Several studies have demonstrated the potential application of microbubbles as a non-invasive, safe and effective technique for targeted delivery of drugs and genes. The drugs can be incorporated into the microbubbles in several different approaches and then carried to the site of interest where it can be released by destruction of the microbubbles using ultrasound to achieve the required therapeutic effect.

Methods:

The objective of this article is to report on a review of the recent advances of ultrasound-mediated microbubbles as a vehicle for delivering drugs and genes and its potential application for the treatment of cancer.

Conclusion:

Ultrasound-mediated microbubble technology has the potential to significantly improve chemotherapy drug delivery to treatment sites with minimal side effects. Moreover, the technology can induce temporary and reversible changes in the permeability of cells and vessels, thereby allowing for drug delivery in a spatially localised region which can improve the efficiency of drugs with poor bioavailability due to their poor absorption, rapid metabolism and rapid systemic elimination.

Keywords

microbubblesultrasoundchemotherapy drug deliverycancer treatmentsonoporation
Type
Literature Review
Information
Journal of Radiotherapy in Practice , Volume 19 , Issue 3 , September 2020 , pp. 291 - 298
Copyright
© Cambridge University Press 2019

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