BACKGROUND MDR1 gene encoding P-glycoprotein is an ATP-dependent drug efflux transporter and related to drug resistance of yolk sac carcinoma. Ultrasound microbubble-mediated delivery has been used as a novel and effective gene delivery method. We hypothesize that small interfering RNA (siRNA) targeting MDR1 gene (siMDR1) delivery with microbubble and ultrasound can down-regulate MDR1 expressio...

High intensity pulsed ultrasound, interacting with microbubble contrast agents, is potentially useful for drug delivery, cancer treatment, and tissue ablation, among other applications. To establish the fundamental understanding on the interaction of a microbubble (in an infinite volume of water) with an ultrasound pressure field, a numerical study is performed using the boundary element method...

Microbubble ultrasound contrast agents have been in clinical use for more than two decades, during which time their range of applications has increased to encompass echocardiography, Doppler enhancement, perfusion studies and molecular imaging, as well as a number of therapeutic applications including drug delivery, gene therapy, high-intensity focused ultrasound treatments and sonothrombolysis...

Focused ultrasound with microbubbles is being developed to transiently, locally and noninvasively open the blood-brain barrier (BBB) for improved pharmaceutical delivery. Prior work has demonstrated that, for a given concentration dose, microbubble size affects both the intravascular circulation persistence and extent of BBB opening. When matched to gas volume dose, however, the circulation hal...

An encapsulated microbubble (EMB) of a novel construct is proposed to enhance the magnetic resonance imaging contrast by introducing superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) nanoparticles (mean diameter is 12 nm) into the polymer shell of the microbubble. Such microbubble vesicle has nitrogen gas in the core and its mean diameter is 3.98 microm. An in vitro MR susceptibility experiment using a phant...

Microbubble contrast agents can specifically deliver nucleic acids to target tissues when exposed to ultrasound treatment parameters that mediate microbubble destruction. In this study, we evaluated whether microbubbles and ultrasound-targeted microbubble destruction (UTMD) could be used to enhance delivery of EGF receptor (EGFR)-directed siRNA to murine squamous cell carcinomas. Custom-designe...

Improvements in micropore arterial line filter designs used for extracorporeal circulation are still needed because microbubbles larger than the rated pore sizes are being detected beyond the filter outlet. Linked to principles governing the function of micropore filters, fluid pressures contained in extracorporeal circuits also influence the behavior of gas bubbles and the extent to which they...

OBJECTIVES This study was undertaken to optimize echocardiographic parameters for successful gene delivery to the heart and to extend the method from adenoviral to plasmid deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). BACKGROUND We have previously shown that ultrasound-targeted microbubble destruction can direct tissue expression of adenoviral transgenes to the heart. The optimal echocardiographic parameters ...

Gas-filled microbubbles have the potential to become a unique intravascular MR contrast agent due to their magnetic susceptibility effect, biocompatibility and localized manipulation via ultrasound cavitation. However, in vivo demonstration of microbubble susceptibility effect is limited so far and microbubble susceptibility effect is relatively weak when compared with other intravascular MR su...

Several emerging therapies with potential for use in the brain, harness effects produced by acoustic cavitation--the interaction between ultrasound and microbubbles either generated during sonication or introduced into the vasculature. Systems developed for transcranial MRI-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) thermal ablation can enable their clinical translation, but methods for real-time monit...