Current Progress in Magnetic Resonance-Guided Focused Ultrasound to Facilitate Drug Delivery across the Blood-Brain Barrier

Ying Meng; Lorraine V. Kalia; Suneil K. Kalia; Clement Hamani; Yuexi Huang; Kullervo Hynynen; Nir Lipsman; Benjamin Davidson

doi:10.3390/pharmaceutics16060719

Pharmaceutics (May 2024)

Current Progress in Magnetic Resonance-Guided Focused Ultrasound to Facilitate Drug Delivery across the Blood-Brain Barrier

Ying Meng,
Lorraine V. Kalia,
Suneil K. Kalia,
Clement Hamani,
Yuexi Huang,
Kullervo Hynynen,
Nir Lipsman,
Benjamin Davidson

Affiliations

Ying Meng: Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, Canada
Lorraine V. Kalia: Krembil Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON M5T 0S8, Canada
Suneil K. Kalia: Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, Canada
Clement Hamani: Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, Canada
Yuexi Huang: Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, Canada
Kullervo Hynynen: Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, Canada
Nir Lipsman: Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, Canada
Benjamin Davidson: Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, Canada

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics16060719
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 16, no. 6
p. 719

Abstract

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This review discusses the current progress in the clinical use of magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) and other ultrasound platforms to transiently permeabilize the blood-brain barrier (BBB) for drug delivery in neurological disorders and neuro-oncology. Safety trials in humans have followed on from extensive pre-clinical studies, demonstrating a reassuring safety profile and paving the way for numerous translational clinical trials in Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and primary and metastatic brain tumors. Future directions include improving ultrasound delivery devices, exploring alternative delivery approaches such as nanodroplets, and expanding the application to other neurological conditions.

Published in Pharmaceutics

ISSN: 1999-4923 (Online)
Publisher: MDPI AG
Country of publisher: Switzerland
LCC subjects: Medicine: Pharmacy and materia medica
Website: http://www.mdpi.com/journal/pharmaceutics/

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