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Ultrasound-mediated cavitation shows great promise for improving targeted drug delivery across a range of clinical applications. Cavitation nuclei-sound-sensitive constructs that enhance cavitation activity at lower pressures-have become a powerful adjuvant to ultrasound-based treatments, and more recently emerged as a drug delivery vehicle in their own right. The unique combination of physical, biological, and chemical effects that occur around these structures, as well as their varied compositions and morphologies, make cavitation nuclei an attractive platform for creating delivery systems tuned to particular therapeutics. In this review, we describe the structure and function of cavitation nuclei, approaches to their functionalization and customization, various clinical applications, progress toward real-world translation, and future directions for the field.

Original publication

DOI

10.3390/molecules28237733

Type

Journal article

Journal

Molecules

Publication Date

23/11/2023

Volume

28

Keywords

cavitation, cavitation nuclei, drug delivery, nanoparticles, sonosensitive, ultrasound, Drug Delivery Systems, Ultrasonography, Microbubbles