Sonosensitive Cavitation Nuclei—A Customisable Platform Technology for Enhanced Therapeutic Delivery
Brian Lyons,
Joel P. R. Balkaran,
Darcy Dunn-Lawless,
Veronica Lucian,
Sara B. Keller,
Colm S. O’Reilly,
Luna Hu,
Jeffrey Rubasingham,
Malavika Nair,
Robert Carlisle,
Eleanor Stride,
Michael Gray,
Constantin Coussios
Affiliations
Brian Lyons
Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PJ, UK
Joel P. R. Balkaran
Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PJ, UK
Darcy Dunn-Lawless
Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PJ, UK
Veronica Lucian
Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PJ, UK
Sara B. Keller
Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PJ, UK
Colm S. O’Reilly
Botnar Research Centre, Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences (NDORMS), University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PJ, UK
Luna Hu
Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PJ, UK
Jeffrey Rubasingham
Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PJ, UK
Malavika Nair
Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PJ, UK
Robert Carlisle
Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PJ, UK
Eleanor Stride
Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PJ, UK
Michael Gray
Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PJ, UK
Constantin Coussios
Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PJ, UK
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.
