AUTHOR=Cai Xiaowen , Jiang Yuan , Lin Mei , Zhang Jiyong , Guo Huanhuan , Yang Fanwen , Leung Wingnang , Xu Chuanshan 

TITLE=Ultrasound-Responsive Materials for Drug/Gene Delivery

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Pharmacology

VOLUME=10

YEAR=2020

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2019.01650

DOI=10.3389/fphar.2019.01650

ISSN=1663-9812

ABSTRACT=<p>Ultrasound is one of the most commonly used methods in the diagnosis and therapy of diseases due to its safety, deep penetration into tissue, and non-invasive nature. In the drug/gene delivery systems, ultrasound shows many advantages in terms of site-specific delivery and spatial release control of drugs/genes and attracts increasing attention. Microbubbles are the most well-known ultrasound-responsive delivery materials. Recently, nanobubbles, droplets, micelles, and nanoliposomes have been developed as novel carriers in this field. Herein, we review advances of novel ultrasound-responsive materials (nanobubbles, droplets, micelles and nanoliposomes) and discuss the challenges of ultrasound-responsive materials in delivery systems to boost the development of ultrasound-responsive materials as delivery carriers.</p>