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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Dec 21, 2025

Dissipative Microgravimetry to Study the Binding Dynamics of the Phospholipid Binding Protein Annexin A2 to Solid-supported Lipid Bilayers Using a Quartz Resonator

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Published on: November 1, 2018

Lipid Shell Retention and Selective Binding Capability Following Repeated Transient Acoustic Microdroplet

Jennifer N Harmon¹, Chloe A Celingant-Copie¹, Foad Kabinejadian¹

¹Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana 70118, United States.

Langmuir : the ACS Journal of Surfaces and Colloids

|May 19, 2020

Summary

Activatable droplet contrast agents retain targeting ligands during repeated ultrasound vaporization. While some lipids shed, affecting droplet size, targeted therapy and molecular imaging accuracy remain unaffected.

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Area of Science:

Biomedical Engineering
Ultrasound Technology
Nanomedicine

Background:

Microbubble contrast agents are established for ultrasound-guided therapy and imaging.
Activatable droplet contrast agents offer enhanced functionality but their lipid shell behavior under repeated ultrasound exposure is not fully understood.
Understanding lipid shell dynamics is crucial for optimizing droplet-based contrast agents.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the retention of lipid shells in activatable droplet contrast agents after repeated vaporization events.
To assess the impact of lipid shell shedding on droplet size and targeting capabilities.
To evaluate the stability of PEGylated and non-PEGylated lipids during phase transitions.

Main Methods:

Utilized fluorescent markers to track PEGylated and non-PEGylated lipid subpopulations.
Employed confocal microscopy for initial lipid distribution analysis.
Applied high-speed optical imaging to observe repeated vaporization and recondensation under focused ultrasound.
Used flow cytometry to quantify lipid shedding and assess droplet targeting post-activation.

Main Results:

Droplets successfully underwent repeated vaporization and recondensation using focused ultrasound.
PEGylated lipids, including targeting ligands, were fully retained on the shell.
Approximately 20% of bulk (non-PEGylated) lipids were shed, leading to a reduced average droplet diameter.
Targeting capabilities of RGD peptide-functionalized droplets remained unaffected.

Conclusions:

Activatable droplet contrast agents exhibit robust retention of targeting ligands during repeated ultrasound activation.
While lipid shedding influences droplet size distribution, it does not compromise the accuracy of targeted therapy or molecular imaging.
These findings support the use of activatable droplet contrast agents for advanced ultrasound applications.