Microbubbles Cloaked with Hydrogels as Activatable Ultrasound Contrast Agents.

ABSTRACT: Microbubbles (MBs) are optimal ultrasound contrast agents because their unique acoustic response allows for exquisite sensitivity in vivo. This unique response is derived from MBs' elasticity that allows them to oscillate differently from surrounding tissues. While the main use of MBs in the clinic is for cardiac and perfusion imaging, imparting MBs with bioresponsive properties would expand their use to detect pathophysiologic changes. This can be achieved by damping MBs' oscillations to silence their signal and rescuing it when they encounter the biomarker of interest to improve detection and specificity of diseases such as deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Here, we demonstrate that conjugating perfluorobutane-filled MBs with hyaluronic acid (HA) and cross-linking HA with biodegradable

SUBMITTER: Burns MWN 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8574208 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature