title: Combining microbubbles and ultrasound for drug delivery to brain tumors: current progress and overview.
abstract: Malignant glioma is one of the most challenging central nervous system (CNS) diseases, which is typically associated with high rates of recurrence and mortality. Current surgical debulking combined with radiation or chemotherapy has failed to control tumor progression or improve glioma patient survival. Microbubbles (MBs) originally serve as contrast agents in diagnostic ultrasound but have recently attracted considerable attention for therapeutic application in enhancing blood-tissue permeability for drug delivery. MB-facilitated focused ultrasound (FUS) has already been confirmed to enhance CNS-blood permeability by temporally opening the blood-brain barrier (BBB), thus has potential to enhance delivery of various kinds of therapeutic agents into brain tumors. Here we review the current preclinical studies which demonstrate the reports by using FUS with MB-facilitated drug delivery technology in brain tumor treatment. In addition, we review newly developed multifunctional theranostic MBs for FUS-induced BBB opening for brain tumor therapy.
authors.affiliation: 1. Department of Electrical Engineering, Chang-Gung University, 259 Wen-Hwa 1st Road, Kuei-Shan, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan 33302.
authors.forename: Hao-Li
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: 2. Department of Biomedical Engineering and Environmental Sciences, National Tsing Hua University, No. 101, Section 2, Kuang-Fu Road, Hsinchu, Taiwan 30013.
authors.forename: Ching-Hsiang
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.affiliation: 2. Department of Biomedical Engineering and Environmental Sciences, National Tsing Hua University, No. 101, Section 2, Kuang-Fu Road, Hsinchu, Taiwan 30013.
authors.forename: Chien-Yu
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Ting
authors.affiliation: 2. Department of Biomedical Engineering and Environmental Sciences, National Tsing Hua University, No. 101, Section 2, Kuang-Fu Road, Hsinchu, Taiwan 30013.
authors.forename: Chih-Kuang
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Yeh
mesh_terms: D001812:Blood-Brain Barrier / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000187:drug effects; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002330:Carmustine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000494:pharmacology; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems / Q000379:methods*; D005910:Glioma / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D008081:Liposomes; D045423:Microbubbles / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D008081:Liposomes; D002330:Carmustine
keywords: Microbubbles; blood-brain barrier; brain tumor; chemotherapy; focused ultrasound