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Using a Microfluidics Device for Mechanical Stimulation and High Resolution Imaging of C. elegans
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Acoustically triggered mechanotherapy using genetically encoded gas vesicles.

Avinoam Bar-Zion1, Atousa Nourmahnad1, David R Mittelstein2

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Scientists engineered gas vesicles to create powerful mechanical effects using ultrasound. This allows precise, on-demand cell killing and tissue disruption for targeted therapies.

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Area of Science:

  • Biotechnology and Synthetic Biology
  • Molecular Engineering
  • Biophysics

Background:

  • Current molecular and cell-based therapies offer high specificity but lack precise spatiotemporal control.
  • Need for methods to control the mechanical effects of biomolecules and cells within the body.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To engineer biomolecules and cells to exert mechanical effects at specific locations using ultrasound-induced inertial cavitation.
  • To demonstrate the utility of genetically encoded gas vesicles as remotely actuated therapeutic agents.

Main Methods:

  • Engineered gas vesicles, which are genetically encodable air-filled protein nanostructures.
  • Utilized low-frequency ultrasound to induce inertial cavitation in engineered biomolecules and cells.
  • Demonstrated capabilities in vitro, in cellulo, and in vivo, including a mouse tumor model.

Main Results:

  • Ultrasound converted engineered gas vesicles into micrometer-scale cavitating bubbles, generating potent local mechanical effects.
  • Demonstrated remote actuation for cell killing and tissue disruption.
  • Engineered cells could be triggered to lyse, release payloads, and cause mechanical damage on demand.

Conclusions:

  • Genetically engineered gas vesicles enable ultrasound-triggered inertial cavitation for precise mechanical disruption.
  • This technology provides a novel platform for remotely controlled cell-killing and tissue-disrupting therapies.
  • Potential applications in targeted therapies, including cancer treatment with probiotic delivery systems.