Development of microbubbles for ultrasound-triggered drug delivery to brain

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17H07119
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Research Field: Medical systems
• Research Institution: Teikyo University
• Principal Investigator: Omata Daiki 帝京大学, 薬学部, 助教 (80803113)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-08-25 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: マイクロバブル / 超音波 / 脳 / ドラッグデリバリー

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We developed several gas-loaded microbubbles (MBs) with identical shell compositions and assessed their stability by ultrasound (US) imaging. In addition, we assessed the effects of gas encapsulated in MBs on brain-targeted drug delivery. Perfluoropropane and perflurorobutane-loaded MBs (MB-C3F8 and MB-C4F10) showed sustained US imaging in vitro and in vivo compared with sulfur hexafluoride-loaded MBs (MB-SF6). The treatment of MB-C3F8 and MB-C4F10 with non-focused US efficiently delivered Evans blue, which was used as a model drug, to the brain to a greater extent than MB-SF6. In these treatments, notable damage to brain was not observed which was assessed by HE staining and denatured neuron staining. Our results suggested that perfluoropropane and perfluorobutane could be useful for the production of MBs with high stability to allow for brain-targeted drug delivery.

Free Research Field

薬剤学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

超音波とマイクロバブルを利用した脳への薬物送達技術が注目され、超音波デバイスの開発や超音波照射条件の最適化などが精力的に進められているが、マイクロバブルの影響は十分に評価されているとは言えない。研究成果は、脳への薬物送達のために最適化したマイクロバブルの開発につながると期待される。また、本研究は、マイクロバブルの開発により脳への薬物送達技術の構築を目指すものであり、最終的に脳疾患治療に貢献することが期待される。