Nanoparticle Loaded Polymeric Microbubbles as Contrast Agents for Multimodal Imaging.

ABSTRACT: Ultrasound contrast agents are typically microbubbles (MB) with a gas core that is stabilized by a shell made of lipids, proteins, or polymers. The high impedance mismatch between the gas core and an aqueous environment produces strong contrast in ultrasound (US). Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) MB, previously developed in our laboratory, have been shown to be highly echogenic both in vitro and in vivo. Combining US with other imaging modalities such as fluorescence, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), or computerized tomography (CT) could improve the accuracy of many US applications and provide more comprehensive diagnostic information. Furthermore, our MB have the capacity to house a drug in the PLA shell and create drug-loaded nanoparticles in situ when passing through an ultrasound beam. To crea

SUBMITTER: Teraphongphom N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4818153 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature