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Updated: Mar 26, 2026
Introduction to the Ultrasound Targeted Microbubble Destruction Technique
Published on: June 12, 2011
Combined ultrasound-targeted microbubble destruction and polyethylenimine-mediated plasmid DNA delivery to the rat
Hongli Li1, Jin Qian2, Chunfang Yao3
1Department of Ultrasound, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
Background:
Gene therapy has potential in the treatment of refractory retinal diseases. It is important to develop an effective delivery system in the retina. The present study aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of ultrasound (US)-targeted microbubble destruction (UTMD)-mediated polyethylenimine (PEI) to the rat retina.
Methods:
Gene transfer was examined by injecting PEI/plasmid DNA (pDNA) with or without microbubbles (MBs) into the subretinal space of rats that were then exposed to US. We investigated enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP) expression on flat fundus oculi and performed quantitative analysis. Hematoxylin and eosin staining was used to observe tissue damage.
Results:
UTMD significantly enhanced PEI/pDNA transfection efficiency safely by increasing both the transgene expression per cell and the percentage of transfected cells of the retina. PEI/pDNA combined with UTMD significantly increased the number of DNA gene copies and the mRNA level in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and neural retina, respectively, compared to PEI/pDNA alone.
Conclusions:
The present study demonstrates that enhanced and accelerated pDNA expression can be achieved in the retina/RPE cells in vivo by UTMD physical techniques combined with a PEI chemical vector. Our study provides useful information for further in vivo retinal gene therapy work. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
