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Nanotechnology for Nucleic Acid Delivery pp 241–251Cite as

Enhancing Nucleic Acid Delivery with Ultrasound and Microbubbles

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Part of the book series: Methods in Molecular Biology ((MIMB,volume 1943))

Abstract

For gene therapy to work in vivo, nucleic acids need to reach the target cells without causing major side effects to the patient. In many cases the gene only has to reach a subset of cells in the body. Therefore, targeted delivery of genes to the desired tissue is a major issue in gene delivery. Many different possibilities of targeted gene delivery have been studied. A physical approach to target nucleic acids and other drugs to specific regions in the body is the use of ultrasound and microbubbles. Microbubbles are gas filled spheres with a stabilizing lipid, protein, or polymer shell. When these microbubbles enter an ultrasonic field, they start to oscillate. The bubbles’ expansion and compression are inversely related to the pressure phases in the ultrasonic field. When microbubbles are exposed to high-intensity ultrasound the microbubbles will eventually implode and fragment. This generates shockwaves and microjets which can temporarily permeate cell membranes and blood vessels. Nucleic acids or (non)viral vectors can as a result gain direct access to either the cytoplasm of neighboring cells, or extravasate to the surrounding tissue. The nucleic acids can either be mixed with the microbubbles or loaded on the microbubbles. Nucleic acid loaded microbubbles can be obtained by coupling nucleic acid-containing particles (i.e., lipoplexes) to the microbubbles. Upon ultrasound-mediated implosion of the microbubbles, the nucleic acid-containing particles will be released and will deliver their nucleic acids in the ultrasound-targeted region.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ghent Research Group on Nanomedicines, Laboratory of General Biochemistry and Physical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium

    Heleen Dewitte, Silke Roovers, Stefaan C. De Smedt & Ine Lentacker

Authors
  1. Heleen Dewitte
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  2. Silke Roovers
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  3. Stefaan C. De Smedt
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  4. Ine Lentacker
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ine Lentacker .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of MacroMolecular Cancer Therapeutics (MMCT), Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Center of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria

    Manfred Ogris

  2. Laboratory of MacroMolecular Cancer Therapeutics (MMCT), Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Center of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria

    Haider Sami

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Dewitte, H., Roovers, S., De Smedt, S.C., Lentacker, I. (2019). Enhancing Nucleic Acid Delivery with Ultrasound and Microbubbles. In: Ogris, M., Sami, H. (eds) Nanotechnology for Nucleic Acid Delivery. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 1943. Humana Press, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-9092-4_16

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-9092-4_16

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  • Publisher Name: Humana Press, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4939-9091-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4939-9092-4

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