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The Blood-brain Barrier

The Blood-brain Barrier

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 29, 2025

Reliable Isolation of Central Nervous System Microvessels Across Five Vertebrate Groups

Reliable Isolation of Central Nervous System Microvessels Across Five Vertebrate Groups

Published on: January 12, 2020

Microbubble dynamics in brain microvessels.

James H Bezer¹, Paul Prentice², William Lim Kee Chang¹

¹Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom.

|February 5, 2025

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Focused ultrasound and microbubbles can mechanically stress brain tissue, influencing drug delivery across the blood-brain barrier (BBB). This study visually confirms microbubble behavior within brain microvessels, revealing potential for both targeted therapy and unintended tissue damage.

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Intravital Microscopy of the Mouse Brain Microcirculation using a Closed Cranial Window

Intravital Microscopy of the Mouse Brain Microcirculation using a Closed Cranial Window

Published on: November 18, 2010

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Last Updated: May 29, 2025

Reliable Isolation of Central Nervous System Microvessels Across Five Vertebrate Groups

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Published on: January 12, 2020

Real-Time Intravital Multiphoton Microscopy to Visualize Focused Ultrasound and Microbubble Treatments to Increase Blood-Brain Barrier Permeability

Real-Time Intravital Multiphoton Microscopy to Visualize Focused Ultrasound and Microbubble Treatments to Increase Blood-Brain Barrier Permeability

Published on: February 5, 2022

Intravital Microscopy of the Mouse Brain Microcirculation using a Closed Cranial Window

Intravital Microscopy of the Mouse Brain Microcirculation using a Closed Cranial Window

Published on: November 18, 2010

Area of Science:

Biophysics
Neuroscience
Biomaterials

Background:

Focused ultrasound stimulation of microbubbles is investigated for drug delivery across the blood-brain barrier (BBB).
Understanding the physical mechanisms of microbubble-induced BBB permeability is crucial for therapeutic applications.
Direct observation of microbubble dynamics within brain microvessels has been lacking.

Purpose of the Study:

To visualize and characterize the behavior of microbubbles within living brain microvessels under ultrasound exposure.
To elucidate the mechanical interactions between microbubbles, ultrasound, and brain tissue.

Main Methods:

Utilized high-speed microscopy (up to 10 million frames per second) to observe microbubbles (SonoVue®) in acute rat brain slices.
Exposed microbubbles to ultrasound pulses (1 MHz, 0.2-1 MPa, up to 10 ms) mimicking BBB disruption protocols.
Quantified microbubble movement, mechanical stress propagation, and extravasation probability.

Main Results:

Observed microbubbles exerting mechanical stress on surrounding tissue several micrometers away.
Documented microbubbles traveling tens of micrometers within microvessels during a single ultrasound pulse.
Found that microbubble extravasation into the parenchyma increased significantly with higher mechanical index (≥ 0.6).

Conclusions:

This study provides the first direct visualization of ultrasound-driven microbubble dynamics in brain tissue.
Microbubble behavior demonstrates potential for localized drug delivery but also carries risks of mechanical damage.
Findings offer critical insights into optimizing focused ultrasound parameters for safe and effective BBB drug delivery.