Bursting Microbubbles: How Nanobubble Contrast Agents Can Enable the Future of Medical Ultrasound Molecular Imaging and Image-Guided Therapy.

ABSTRACT: The field of medical ultrasound has undergone a significant evolution since the development of microbubbles as contrast agents. However, due to their size, microbubbles remain in the vasculature, and therefore have limited clinical applications. Building a better - and smaller - bubble can expand the applications of contrast-enhanced ultrasound by allowing bubbles to extravasate from blood vessels - creating new opportunities. In this review, we summarize recent research on the formulation and use of NBs as imaging agents and as therapeutic vehicles. We discuss the ongoing debates in the field and reluctance to accepting NBs as an acoustically active construct and a potentially impactful clinical tool that can help shape the future of medical ultrasound. We hope that the overview of key ex

SUBMITTER: Exner AA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8356903 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature