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Published on: November 7, 2013
Micro- and nanobubbles: a versatile non-viral platform for gene delivery
Roberta Cavalli1, Agnese Bisazza, David Lembo
1Dipartimento di Scienza e Tecnologia del Farmaco, Università di Torino, Via Pietro Giuria 9, 10125 Torino, Italy.
International Journal of Pharmaceutics
|September 7, 2013
Summary
Microbubbles and nanobubbles offer a non-viral method for ultrasound-mediated gene delivery. Nanobubbles show promise for targeted delivery due to their small size, enabling extravasation and site-specific release.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Nanotechnology
- Gene Therapy
Background:
- Microbubbles (1-8 μm) are gas-filled structures used as ultrasound contrast agents.
- Ultrasound-mediated microbubbles enhance gene delivery via cavitation.
- Nanobubbles offer potential for improved gene delivery due to their nanoscale size.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the use of microbubbles and nanobubbles for ultrasound-mediated gene delivery.
- To focus on recent advancements in nanobubble systems for gene delivery.
- To describe ultrasound delivery mechanisms, formulation, and gene-loading strategies.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on microbubble and nanobubble gene delivery systems.
- Analysis of ultrasound-mediated delivery mechanisms, including cavitation.
- Examination of different gene-loading approaches and formulation parameters.
Main Results:
- Microbubbles facilitate gene entry through cavitation but are limited to vascular targets.
- Nanobubbles allow extravasation for site-specific delivery and minimal invasiveness.
- Various technological approaches exist for associating genes with microbubble structures.
Conclusions:
- Micro- and nanobubbles represent a promising non-viral strategy for ultrasound-mediated gene delivery.
- Nanobubbles offer advantages over microbubbles for targeted delivery due to their size.
- Further research into nanobubble systems could enhance therapeutic gene delivery applications.
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