Cyclic jetting enables microbubble-mediated drug delivery

The pursuit of targeted therapies capable of overcoming biological barriers, including the blood-brain barrier, has spurred the investigation of stimuli-responsive microagents that can improve therapeutic efficacy and reduce undesirable side effects. Intravenously administered, ultrasound-responsive microbubbles are promising agents with demonstrated potential in clinical trials, but the mechanism underlying drug absorption remains unclear. Here we show that ultrasound-driven single microbubbles puncture the cell membrane and induce drug uptake through stable cyclic microjets. Our theoretical models successfully reproduce the observed bubble and cell dynamic responses. We find that cyclic jets arise from shape…

• NS
  National Science Foundation
• SN
  Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung

  Awards: 200021_200567, 205321_188828, CRSII5_213498
• ET
  Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich

  Award: 1-010206-000