Applications of Ultrasound-Mediated Gene Delivery in Regenerative Medicine

Research on the capability of non-viral gene delivery systems to induce tissue regeneration is a continued effort as the current use of viral vectors can present with significant limitations. Despite initially showing lower gene transfection and gene expression efficiencies, non-viral delivery methods continue to be optimized to match that of their viral counterparts. Ultrasound-mediated gene transfer, referred to as sonoporation, occurs by the induction of transient membrane permeabilization and has been found to significantly increase the uptake and expression of DNA in cells across many organ systems. In addition, it offers a more favorable safety profile compared to other non-viral delivery methods. Studies have shown that microbubble-enhanced sonoporation can elicit significant tissue regeneration in both ectopic and disease models, including bone and vascular tissue regeneration. Despite this, no clinical trials on the use of sonoporation for tissue regeneration have been conducted, although current clinical trials using sonoporation for other indications suggest that the method is safe for use in the clinical setting. In this review, we describe the pre-clinical studies conducted thus far on the use of sonoporation for tissue regeneration. Further, the various techniques used to increase the effectiveness and duration of sonoporation-induced gene transfer, as well as the obstacles that may be currently hindering clinical translation, are explored.