Ultrasound contrast agents from microbubbles to biogenic gas vesicles

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Nanotechnology
• Molecular Imaging

Background:

• Microbubbles are established ultrasound contrast agents with limitations in targeting extravascular sites.
• Targeted microbubbles face challenges in molecular imaging of extravascular targets due to their size.
• Acoustic nanomaterials are being developed to overcome these limitations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the advancements in ultrasound contrast agents, from microbubbles to biogenic gas vesicles.
• To explore the potential of biogenic gas vesicles as biomolecular ultrasound contrast agents.
• To discuss the opportunities and challenges for clinical translation of biogenic gas vesicles.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on ultrasound contrast agents.
• Engineering of biogenic gas vesicles as acoustic reporter genes.
• Analysis of the properties and applications of biogenic gas vesicles.

Main Results:

• Biogenic gas vesicles, derived from microorganisms, function as the first biomolecular ultrasound contrast agents.
• These nanostructures exhibit excellent stability and acoustic responses due to their protein shell and gas-filling mechanism.
• Genetic encodability allows biogenic gas vesicles to serve as acoustic reporter genes for cellular and molecular imaging.

Conclusions:

• Biogenic gas vesicles represent a significant upgrade from traditional microbubbles for ultrasound imaging.
• Their unique properties open avenues for direct visualization of cellular and molecular functions.
• Further research and development are crucial for the commercial and clinical adoption of biomolecular ultrasound agents.