[Molecular diagnosis and treatment using a new ultrasound contrast agent]

Ultrasound is often used for non-invasive diagnostic use in a clinical setting. Therapeutic ultrasound, on the other hand, has mainly been applied for its thermal or mechanical effects. Medical applications of high-energy ultrasound to ablate cancers are now under investigation(high intensity focused ultrasound: HIFU). Recently, there have been reports on the application of non-thermal ultrasound energy for treating various diseases in combination with drugs. Furthermore, the introduction of microbubbles, molecular targeted echo contrast agents, and carriers/enhancers of drugs has added a whole new dimension to diagnosis and therapy. Ultrasound irradiation of tissues and cells is effective for enhancing drug targeting, lowering systemic drug toxicity, and improving drug absorption rates. Efficient delivery of a drug into target cells or tissues for therapeutic purposes had always been a big challenge requiring multidisciplinary effort by experts in different scientific fields. Current advances in molecular imaging and therapy will also be discussed.