Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 14, 2026
Thrombus Profiling Assay: A Microfluidics-Based Platform for Comprehensively Characterizing Biomechanical Thrombogenesis
Published on: January 9, 2026
[Molecular imaging of thrombus with microbubbles targeted to alphavbeta3-integrin using an agarose flow chamber
Guang-quan Hu1, Jian Liu, Li Yang
1Department of Cardiology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China. huguangquan168@163.com
Objective:
To assess the binding ability of microbubbles targeted to alphavbeta3-integrin (MBp) for thrombus-targeted contrast-enhanced ultrasound.
Methods:
Targeted microbubbles were prepared by conjugating the monoclonal antibody against alphavbeta3-integrin to lipid shell of the microbubble via the avidin-biotin bridges. Equivalent isotype control microbubbles (MB) or targeted ultrasound microbubbles (MBp) were randomly added into the flow chamber. After a 30-min incubation with the thrombus fixed in an agarose flow chamber model, the thrombus was washed with a continuous flow of PBS solution (15 cm/s) for 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 min, followed by thrombus imaging using contrast-enhanced ultrasound and measurement of the video intensity (VI) values of the images.
Results:
The VI of the thrombus in MBp group was reduced by 28%-66%, while that in control MB group was decreased by 87%-94%, and the VI values of the thrombus group were significantly greater in former group at each of the time points (P<0.05).
Conclusion:
MBP has good targeting ability to the thrombus with resistance to the shear stress after adhesion to the thrombus. In vitro evaluation of the thrombus-binding capability of the targeted microbubble (MBp) by simulating the shear stress in vivo can be helpful for predicting the in vivo effects of ultrasonic molecular imaging using MBp.
