Asian Journal of Research in Pharmaceutical Sciences

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Microbubbles - A Promising Ultrasound Tool for Novel Drug Delivery System: A Review


Affiliations
1 Department of Pharmaceutics, S. J. Thakkar Pharmacy College, Rajkot, India
2 Department of Pharmaceutics, Matushree V.B. Manvar College of Pharmacy, Dumiyani, India
     

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Microbubbles are emerging as important contrast agents for imaging and carriers for targeted drug delivery. Microbubbles designate air or gas filled microspheres suspended in a liquid carrier phase which generally results from the introduction of air or gas. The liquid phase contains surfactants to control the surface properties as well as stability of the bubble. The microbubbles have an average size less than that of red blood cells, so they are capable of penetrating even into the small blood capillaries and releasing drug and genes under the action of ultrasound field after reaching the specific area of interest. Microbubbles in general have a wide variety of applications. However in the biomedical field these are primarily used as diagnostic agents in combination with ultrasound for molecular imaging of various organs and even tumors. These are also proposed for drug and gene delivery to targeted regions in combination with various ligands. Herein, article includes composition, properties, method of preparation, mechanism and application of microbubbles and review recent results on their performance under various imaging and drug delivery scenarios.

Keywords

Microbubbles, Contrast Agents, Diagnostic Agents, Ultrasound, Targeted Drug Delivery.
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Abstract Views: 367

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  • Microbubbles - A Promising Ultrasound Tool for Novel Drug Delivery System: A Review

Abstract Views: 367  |  PDF Views: 2

Authors

V. K. Chapla
Department of Pharmaceutics, S. J. Thakkar Pharmacy College, Rajkot, India
R. C. Patel
Department of Pharmaceutics, S. J. Thakkar Pharmacy College, Rajkot, India
J. S. Paun
Department of Pharmaceutics, S. J. Thakkar Pharmacy College, Rajkot, India
R. B. Parmar
Department of Pharmaceutics, S. J. Thakkar Pharmacy College, Rajkot, India
H. M. Tank
Department of Pharmaceutics, Matushree V.B. Manvar College of Pharmacy, Dumiyani, India

Abstract


Microbubbles are emerging as important contrast agents for imaging and carriers for targeted drug delivery. Microbubbles designate air or gas filled microspheres suspended in a liquid carrier phase which generally results from the introduction of air or gas. The liquid phase contains surfactants to control the surface properties as well as stability of the bubble. The microbubbles have an average size less than that of red blood cells, so they are capable of penetrating even into the small blood capillaries and releasing drug and genes under the action of ultrasound field after reaching the specific area of interest. Microbubbles in general have a wide variety of applications. However in the biomedical field these are primarily used as diagnostic agents in combination with ultrasound for molecular imaging of various organs and even tumors. These are also proposed for drug and gene delivery to targeted regions in combination with various ligands. Herein, article includes composition, properties, method of preparation, mechanism and application of microbubbles and review recent results on their performance under various imaging and drug delivery scenarios.

Keywords


Microbubbles, Contrast Agents, Diagnostic Agents, Ultrasound, Targeted Drug Delivery.

References