Molecular Ultrasound Imaging

Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) imaging is a valuable tool for preclinical and clinical diagnostics. The most frequently used ultrasound contrast agents are microbubbles. Besides them, novel nano-sized materials are under investigation, which are briefly discussed in this chapter. For molecular CEUS, the ultrasound contrast agents are modified to actively target disease-associated molecular markers with a site-specific ligand. The most common markers for tumor imaging are related to neoangiogenesis, like the vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (VEGFR2) and α_vβ₃-Integrin. In this chapter, applications of molecular ultrasound to longitudinally monitor receptor expression during tumor growth, to detect neovascularization, and to evaluate therapy responses are described. Furthermore, we report on the first clinical trials of molecular CEUS with VEGFR2-targeted phospholipid microbubbles showing promising results regarding patient safety and its ability to detect tumors of the prostate, breast, and ovary. The chapter closes with an outlook on ultrasound theranostics, where (targeted) ultrasound contrast agents are used to increase the permeability of tumor tissues and to support drug delivery.