The use of acoustic cavitation (i.e. oscillating and collapsing microbubbles) in the treatment of cancer is hindered by the lack of reliable approaches to generate microbubbles directly within the solid tumor.  To address this limitation, a pressure-sensitive perfluorocarbon nanoemulsion (PSNE) that can extravasate through leaky tumor vasculature has been engineered to serve as cavitation nuclei.  Upon accumulation in tumor interstitium, the PSNE can be vaporized with focused ultrasound, resulting in a highly localized cavitation field.  The cavitation field can be used to significantly enhance the absorption of ultrasound in solid tumors, thus reducing the time and acoustic power required for ablation.  Additionally, the cavitation field can be used for localized delivery of therapeutics to malignant cells.  The physical and material properties as well as the implications of this novel colloidal nanoparticle in cancer therapy will be discussed.

Engineering pressure-sensitive nanoemulsions for enhancing ultrasound-mediated cancer therapy

245th National Meeting (2013)

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