February 6, 2021 — BIO Integration

Abstract

Ultrasound combined with microbubble-mediated sonoporation has been applied to enhance drug or gene intracellular delivery. Sonoporation leads to the formation of openings in the cell membrane, triggered by ultrasound-mediated oscillations and destruction of microbubbles. Multiple mechanisms are involved in the occurrence of sonoporation, including ultrasonic parameters, microbubbles size, and the distance of microbubbles to cells. Recent advances are beginning to extend applications through the assistance of contrast agents, which allow ultrasound to connect directly to cellular functions such as gene expression, cellular apoptosis, differentiation, and even epigenetic reprogramming. In this review, we summarize the current state of the art concerning microbubble–cell interactions and sonoporation effects leading to cellular functions.

Authors: Li, Yue 1; Chen, Zhiyi 1; Ge, Shuping 2

1: First Affiliated Hospital of University of South China, Hengyang, China 2: Department of Pediatrics, St Christopher’s Hospital for Children, Tower Health and Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA

Download full article at: https://doi.org/10.15212/bioi-2020-0028