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How does the wonderful combination of microbubbles and ultrasound help drugs to be precisely targeted and reduce side effects?
At the forefront of medicine, microbubble technology is receiving increasing attention. These tiny bubbles, less than one hundredth of a millimeter in diameter, may be inconspicuous, but they actually have huge potential. With the development of science and technology, microbubbles are not only used as contrast agents for ultrasound images, but also demonstrate the miraculous ability to accurately position and reduce side effects in drug delivery.
Microbubbles are used as contrast agents in medical diagnostics, using their unique acoustic properties to highlight differences between tissues.
The composition and function of microbubbles
The combination of a microbubble's outer shell and filler determines its important design features, such as buoyancy, compressive strength and acoustic properties. Common shell materials include lipids, albumin, and proteins. The hydrophilic outer layer of these materials interacts with blood, while the inner layer holds gas molecules in place, making the microbubbles more stable in the body.
Acoustic response of ultrasound
In ultrasound imaging, the acoustic response of microbubbles is key, relying on the differences in acoustic impedance of tissue. When ultrasound waves impact tissue, different tissues reflect different amounts of sound waves back. The low density of the microbubble cores allows them to provide good contrast in images.
Therapeutic applications
Physical response
When microbubbles are exposed to ultrasound, they undergo stable or unstable oscillations based on the pressure waves from the sound waves. Stable oscillations will generate microflows and enhance endocytosis and permeability, while unstable oscillations may cause the collapse of microbubbles, causing mechanical pressure on surrounding tissues, thereby aiding drug release.
Drug delivery
Microbubbles can be used as drug delivery vehicles through various methods, including directly embedding lipophilic drugs into the lipid monolayer of microbubbles or attaching nanoparticles to the surface of microbubbles. Such improvements can help drugs be released to target sites more accurately and reduce systemic toxicity.
Through microbubble delivery, drugs can be more effectively locked inside cancer tumors, thereby improving the effectiveness of treatment.
Unique applications of microbubbles
Penetration of the blood-brain barrier
The blood-brain barrier forms a natural barrier to drugs entering the brain, but research shows that when microbubbles and ultrasound are used together, this barrier can be temporarily destroyed, allowing therapeutic drugs to enter the brain more easily, which is beneficial to cancer. Patients are especially important.
Enhancement of immunotherapy
In addition, the acoustic properties of microbubbles are also used in immunotherapy. The effect of high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) can trigger immune responses and promote the release of tumor antigens, which is particularly important for cancer treatment. Nuhai microbubble technology can enhance the effect of immunotherapy and bring better treatment results.
With the deepening of medical research, researchers continue to explore more potentials of combining microbubbles with ultrasound technology, not only limited to the treatment of cancer, but also potentially applied to a variety of diseases. Will the development of microbubbles become the key to future drug delivery?
