
via TAU
Technique combines ultrasound application and tumor-targeted microbubbles that attach to cancer cells and explode
An international research team led by Dr. Tali Ilovitsh of the Biomedical Engineering Department at TAU developed a noninvasive technology platform for gene delivery into breast cancer cells. The technique combines ultrasound with tumor-targeted microbubbles. Once the ultrasound is activated, the microbubbles explode like smart and targeted warheads, creating holes in cancer cells’ membranes, enabling gene delivery. Conducted over two years, the research was published on June 9 in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
Dr. Ilovitsh developed this breakthrough technology during her post-doctorate research at the lab of Prof. Katherine Ferrara at Stanford University. The technique utilizes low frequency ultrasound (250 kHz) to detonate microscopic tumor-targeted bubbles. In vivo, cell destruction reached 80% of tumor cells.
“Microbubbles are microscopic bubbles filled with gas, with a diameter as small as one tenth of a blood vessel,” Dr. Ilovitsh explains. “At certain frequencies and pressures, sound waves cause the microbubbles to act like balloons: they expand and contract periodically. This process increases the transfer of substances from the blood vessels into the surrounding tissue. We discovered that using lower frequencies than those applied previously, microbubbles can significantly expand, until they explode violently. We realized that this discovery could be used as a platform for cancer treatment and started to inject microbubbles into tumors directly.”
Dr. Ilovitsh and the rest of the team used tumor-targeted microbubbles that were attached to tumor cells’ membranes at the moment of the explosion, and injected them directly into tumors in a mouse model. “About 80% of tumor cells were destroyed in the explosion, which was positive on its own,” says Dr. Ilovitsh. “The targeted treatment, which is safe and cost-effective, was able to destroy most of the tumor. However, it is not enough. In order to prevent the remaining cancer cells to spread, we needed to destroy all of the tumor cells. That is why we injected an immunotherapy gene alongside the microbubbles, which acts as a Trojan horse, and signaled the immune system to attack the cancer cell.”
On its own, the gene cannot enter into the cancer cells. However, this gene aimed to enhance the immune system was co-injected together with the microbubbles. Membrane pores were formed in the remaining 20% of the cancer cells that survived the initial explosion, allowing the entry of the gene into the cells. This triggered an immune response that destroyed the cancer cell.
“The majority of cancer cells were destroyed by the explosion, and the remaining cells consumed the immunotherapy gene through the holes that were created in their membranes,” Dr. Ilovitsh explains. “The gene caused the cells to produce a substance that triggered the immune system to attack the cancer cell. In fact, our mice had tumors on both sides of their bodies. Despite the fact that we conducted the treatment only on one side, the immune system attacked the distant side as well.”
Dr. Ilovitsh says that in the future she intends to attempt using this technology as a noninvasive treatment for brain-related diseases such as brain tumors and other neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. “The blood-brain barrier does not allow for medications to penetrate through, but microbubbles can temporary open the barrier, enabling the arrival of the treatment to the target area without the need for an invasive surgical intervention.”
The Latest Updates from Bing News & Google News
Go deeper with Bing News on:
Tumor-targeted microbubbles
- Characterization of ultrasound-mediated delivery of trastuzumab to normal and pathologic spinal cord tissueon February 24, 2021 at 3:19 am
Extensive studies on focused ultrasound (FUS)-mediated drug delivery through the blood–brain barrier have been published, yet little work has been published on FUS-mediated drug delivery through the ...
- Global Next Generation Cancer Diagnostics Market 2019 – 2025: Analysis of Current Market Trends, Size, Forecast & Pipeline Analysis of New Productson February 19, 2021 at 5:23 am
These assays establish which of the newer, targeted drugs, including those that block certain molecular pathways, will work most effectively for a given tumor. This convergence of targeted drugs ...
- Magnetic Driven Drug Delivery Technology Market 20…on February 19, 2021 at 2:31 am
Magnetic driven drug delivery technology uses an external magnetic field to drive the nanocrystals in the body to the target tumor site. Several researches on this technology have progressed towards ...
- Theranostics News and Researchon February 18, 2021 at 4:00 pm
New research has shown how microbubbles carrying powerful ... why 18F-FDG imaging performs better than PSMA-targeted imaging for prostate cancer patients with low or no expression of the prostate ...
- Imaging in Prostate Canceron February 15, 2021 at 3:59 pm
The microbubbles reflect ultrasound to ... [34] Contrast-enhanced ultrasound certainly increases the tumor detection rate of targeted biopsies, but at this stage cannot be used to replace ...
Go deeper with Google Headlines on:
Tumor-targeted microbubbles
Go deeper with Bing News on:
Ultrasound with tumor-targeted microbubbles
- Feed has no items.