Design and evaluation of drug loaded microbubbles for ultrasound guided cancer therapy

Cancer is a genetic disease, caused by mutations in the genome of normal cells. Chemical and physical damage to the cellular genome can induce these mutations resulting in the transformation of a healthy cell into a tumor cell. Over the past years, researchers have acquired a basic understanding of tumor onset. Several important proto-oncogenes and proteins involved in angiogenesis have been identified, leading to the development and clinical use of several new anticancer agents. We succeeded in preparing microbubbles which are able to carry genetic (pDNA, siRNA) and chemotherapeutic (doxorubicin) drugs. We proved that these microbubbles can selectively deliver their genetic or chemotherapeutic drugs to melanoma cells upon ultrasound exposure. We also showed that the activity of currently available drug carriers (pDNA or siRNA lipoplexes and doxorubicin-liposomes) was significantly improved by microbubble coupling and ultrasound exposure. This enables us to obtain a space and time controlled drug delivery guided by ultrasound. The fact that ultrasound and microbubbles have already been approved for ultrasound contrast imaging and are currently used in daily clinic, makes it very plausible that the microbubble concept reported in this thesis may find its way as an advanced drug delivery system.

Grantor dc:publisher

Ghent University. Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences

Year dc:date

2009

Author dc:creator

• Lentacker, Ine

Contributors dc:contributor

• Sanders, Niek
• De Smedt, Stefaan
• Demeester, Jo

• Medicine and Health Sciences
• MEDIATED TRANSFECTION
• Ultrasound
• CONTRAST AGENTS
• Gene delivery
• COATED MICROBUBBLES
• INTRACELLULAR DELIVERY
• Nuclear entry
• Microbubbles
• Liposomes
• DRUG-DELIVERY
• PLASMID DNA

Statement dc:rights

• info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess

Language dc:language

eng

Identifier

https://biblio.ugent.be/publication/671544
https://biblio.ugent.be/publication/671544/file/4334967

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:archive.ugent.be:671544