Liposomes as a Promising Ultrasound-Triggered Drug Delivery System in Cancer Treatment

Title:Liposomes as a Promising Ultrasound-Triggered Drug Delivery System in Cancer Treatment

Volume: 17 Issue: 10

Author(s): N.M. Salkho, R.Z. Turki, O. Guessoum, A.M. Martins, R.F. Vitor and G.A. Husseini*

Affiliation:

• Department of Chemical Engineering, American University of Sharjah, Sharjah,United Arab Emirates

Keywords: Cancer, liposomes, drug delivery, ultrasound, drug release, anti-neoplastic agent.

Abstract: The initial uses of ultrasound waves in the medical field were limited to the thermal ablation of solid tumors and as a diagnostic tool. Recent advances at the preclinical stage have allowed the use of ultrasound as a powerful tool to improve drug delivery when the agent is administered encapsulated inside a nanoparticle. This spatial and temporal control of drug release, using a non-invasive modality, is a promising approach to decrease the side effects of conventional chemotherapy in cancer treatments, as it reduces the interaction of the anti-neoplastic agent with healthy tissues.

In this review, we explain the physics of ultrasound, introduce and discuss several examples on the use of nanoparticles as drug carriers, with a focus on liposomes. Examples of in vitro and in vivo studies are presented and discussed.

Cite this article as:

Salkho N.M., Turki R.Z., Guessoum O., Martins A.M., Vitor R.F. and Husseini G.A.*, Liposomes as a Promising Ultrasound-Triggered Drug Delivery System in Cancer Treatment, Current Molecular Medicine 2017; 17 (10) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1566524018666180416100142