Microbubble Enhanced Delivery of Vitamin C for Treatment of Colorectal Cancer

During chemotherapy treatment for cancer, often only a fraction of the administered dose reaches the tumor site, with the remaining drug spreading throughout the body, producing unwanted side-effects and restricting how much drug can be safely administered. A potential solution to reduce this problem is the use of microbubbles. The interaction between microbubbles and ultrasound generates pores in the tumor cells, permitting enhanced drug uptake. This study investigates the delivery of the ascorbic acid derivative, palmitoyl ascorbate, to KRAS-mutated colorectal cancer cells in vitro. Ultrasound-triggered microbubbles enhanced the efficacy of liposomal palmitoyl ascorbate treatments by 1.7- and 2.2-fold in LS174T and HCT116 CRC cell lines, respectively. This enhancement was achieved without increasing the drug dosage, and the therapeutic effect was shown to be localized to the area that received the ultrasound pulse, aiding in the reduction of off-site toxicity.