Contrast ultrasound and targeted microbubbles: diagnostic and therapeutic applications for angiogenesis

Angiogenesis represents the formation of new capillaries from existing vasculature, and as such plays a critical role in the response to ischemia in the setting of chronic coronary artery and peripheral vascular disease. Recent technological advances in non-invasive imaging modalities now allow the molecular imaging of angiogenesis. One such technique is contrast-enhanced ultrasound using microbubbles targeted against molecular markers of the angiogenic process. The ability to non-invasively image the angiogenic process would be useful in risk stratifying patients with arterial occlusive disease and would aid in the evaluation of new therapies to promote angiogenesis in ischemic cardiac and skeletal muscle. Furthermore, ultrasound technologies have also been developed that allow targeted angiogenic gene therapy using high-power ultrasound and DNA-bearing microbubbles. This review will focus specifically on recent advances in (1) contrast-enhanced ultrasound molecular imaging techniques for the evaluation of angiogenesis and (2) ultrasound-mediated gene delivery for therapeutic angiogenesis, techniques that have potential for translation to clinical practice.