title: Use of ultrasound contrast agents for gene or drug delivery in cardiovascular medicine.
abstract: The clinical utility of ultrasound contrast agents has been established in diagnostic echocardiography. Recently, the use of such agents has been promoted for transport and delivery of various bioactive substances, thus providing a technique for non-invasive gene therapy and organ-specific drug delivery. In this review, we give a critical update of published studies using ultrasound contrast agents for therapeutic use. We discuss the potential applications and limitations of this technique and suggest future applications in cardiovascular medicine.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Cardiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Raffi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bekeredjian
authors.forename: Paul A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Grayburn
authors.forename: Ralph V
authors.initials: RV
authors.lastname: Shohet
mesh_terms: D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000628:therapy; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D018014:Gene Transfer Techniques; D015316:Genetic Therapy; D006801:Humans; D045423:Microbubbles / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000639:trends; D014463:Ultrasonography