Driving delivery vehicles with ultrasound.
Therapeutic applications of ultrasound have been considered for over 40 years, with the mild hyperthermia and associated increases in perfusion produced by ultrasound harnessed in many of the earliest treatments. More recently, new mechanisms for ultrasound-based or ultrasound-enhanced therapies have been described, and there is now great momentum and enthusiasm for the clinical translation of these techniques. This dedicated issue of Advanced Drug Delivery Reviews, entitled "Ultrasound for Drug and Gene Delivery," addresses the mechanisms by which ultrasound can enhance local drug and gene delivery and the applications that have been demonstrated at this time. In this commentary, the identified mechanisms, delivery vehicles, applications and current bottlenecks for translation of these techniques are summarized.
Ferrara
Katherine W
KW
Department of Biomedical Engineering, 451 Health Sciences Drive, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA. kwferrara@ucdavis.edu
D000818:Animals; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems / Q000379:methods*; D018014:Gene Transfer Techniques; D006801:Humans; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D014677:Pharmaceutical Vehicles; D015612:Phonophoresis; D014465:Ultrasonics
D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations; D014677:Pharmaceutical Vehicles