Abstract：Noninvasive low-intensity ultrasound (LIUS) has been applied in multiple fields of clinical therapy and widely investigated and discussed due to its excellent therapeutic outcome. Recently, researches on LIUS in promoting drug delivery in many applications have been booming, covering multiple drug delivery scenarios and application directions, including transdermal drug delivery (sonophoresis), sonodynamic therapy, and brain blood barrier (BBB) opening. This article delves into mechanisms of LIUS from above three perspectives, covering many biophysical effects including thermal effect, cavitation effect, mechanical effect, and physiological regulatory effect, with particular emphasis on the importance of local cavitation and mechanical effects. In addition, this article highlights the effectiveness of LIUS in drug delivery, while also points out issues that need to be further addressed, such as controllability of drug release and safety of clinical treatment. Domestic and foreign studies have shown that the combined application of ultrasound and nanomaterials has enormous potential. In the future, combining ultrasound with nanomaterials and other technologies is expected to lead to innovative development in the field of drug delivery and provide more effective treatment plans for clinical treatment.
朱文武, 杨辉, 胡凯, 严国飞, 王帆. 低强度超声促进药物递送的作用机制及研究进展[J]. 中国生物医学工程学报, 2024, 43(4): 477-488.
Zhu Wenwu, Yang Hui, Hu Kai, Yan Guofei, Wang Fan. Mechanisms and Research Progress of Low-Intensity Ultrasound in Drug Delivery. Chinese Journal of Biomedical Engineering, 2024, 43(4): 477-488.
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