ISBI 2007: IEEE 2007 International Symposium on Biomedical Imaging, April 12-15, 2007, Washington, D.C., U.S.A.
Photo of Katherine Ferrara

Ultrasonically-enhanced drug and gene delivery

Date: Saturday, April 14, 2007

Presented by

Katherine Ferrara

Abstract

Ultrasound contrast agents are particles with a gas or liquid center with a diameter on the order of 0.1 to 1 micron, typically enclosed by a lipid membrane. Peptide or antibody-based coatings can be incorporated on the surface, providing the opportunity for molecular imaging of vascular targets. Ultrasonic molecular imaging is unique in that the effective application of these agents depends not only on the surface chemistry, but also on the applied ultrasound field. An ultrasound "radiation" force can deflect these particles to the surface, increasing adhesion efficiency, and the agents can then be fragmented, effectively erasing the image and facilitating independent image acquisition at later time periods. Detection of these agents once bound can be based on changes in the received spectrum or methods combining image acquisition with radiation forces and fragmentation.

Perhaps more intriguing, however, is the impact of ultrasound in multi-modality imaging and drug delivery. Through thermal and mechanical mechanisms that have recently been defined, ultrasound can increase vascular permeability. Local fragmentation of vehicles that combine the gas core and drug-containing shell can deposit imaging probes or drugs within a small region. Insonation of lipid-shelled nanoparticles enhances the cellular internalization of such particles.

Complementing these techniques with optical imaging and positron emission tomography provides the opportunity to optimize local delivery. These combined methods show the potential to propel ultrasound-enhanced delivery into the clinic.

Speaker Biography

Following the BS and MS degrees in electrical engineering, Dr. Ferrara worked for General Electric Medical Systems, Rancho Cordova, CA designing components of early magnetic resonance and ultrasound imaging systems. She then received her Ph.D. in electrical engineering and computer science in 1989 from the University of California, Davis. Following an appointment as an Associate Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Dr. Ferrara founded the Department of Biomedical Engineering at UC Davis and served as chair from 1998 through 2005. She is currently a Professor of Biomedical Engineering at UC Davis with research interests in imaging and drug delivery. She is a fellow of the Acoustical Society of America and American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering and is currently a member of the National Advisory Council for the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering.


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