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Updated: Aug 4, 2025
Introduction to the Ultrasound Targeted Microbubble Destruction Technique
Published on: June 12, 2011
Photoacoustic/ultrasound-guided gene silencing: Multifunctional microbubbles for treating adjuvant-induced arthritis
Chenyang Zhao1, Rui Zhang2, Sirui Liu2
1Department of Ultrasound, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China; Department of Ultrasonography, Peking University Shenzhen hospital, Shenzhen, China.
Aims:
To effectively deliver small interfering RNA (siRNA) to inflammatory tissues for treating rheumatoid arthritis (RA), we developed the multifunctional microbubbles (MBs) to perform photoacoustic/ultrasound-guided gene silencing.
Methods:
Fluorescein amidite (FAM)-labelled tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α)-siRNA and cationic MBs were mixed to fabricate FAM-TNF-α-siRNA-cMBs. The cell transfection efficacy of FAM-TNF-α-siRNA-cMBs was evaluated in vitro on RAW264.7 cells. Subsequently, wistar rats with adjuvant-induced arthritis (AIA) were injected intravenously with MBs and simultaneously subjected to low-frequency ultrasound for ultrasound-targeted microbubble destruction (UTMD). Photoacoustic imaging (PAI) was utilized to visualize the distribution of siRNA. And the clinical and pathological changes of AIA rats was estimated.
Results:
FAM-TNF-α-siRNA-cMBs were evenly distributed within the RAW264.7 cells and significantly reduced TNF-α mRNA levels of the cells. For AIA rats, the entering and collapsing of MBs was visualized by contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS). Photoacoustic imaging showed markedly enhanced signals following injection, indicating localization of the FAM-labelled siRNA. The articular tissues of the AIA rats treated with TNF-α-siRNA-cMBs and UTMD showed decreased TNF-α expression levels.
Conclusions:
The theranostic MBs exhibited a TNF-α gene silencing effect under the guidance of CEUS and PAI. The theranostic MBs served as vehicles for delivering siRNA as well as contrast agents for CEUS and PAI.
