Ultrasonic Particles: An Approach for Targeted Gene Delivery

Overview

Journal Adv Drug Deliv Rev

Specialty Pharmacology

Date 2021 Oct 18

PMID 34662671

Citations 15

Authors

Aidan P G Walsh

Henry N Gordon

Karlheinz Peter

Xiaowei Wang

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Gene therapy has been widely investigated for the treatment of genetic, acquired, and infectious diseases. Pioneering work utilized viral vectors; however, these are suspected of causing serious adverse events, resulting in the termination of several clinical trials. Non-viral vectors, such as lipid nanoparticles, have attracted significant interest, mainly due to their successful use in vaccines in the current COVID-19 pandemic. Although they allow safe delivery, they come with the disadvantage of off-target delivery. The application of ultrasound to ultrasound-sensitive particles allows for a direct, site-specific transfer of genetic materials into the organ/site of interest. This process, termed ultrasound-targeted gene delivery (UTGD), also increases cell membrane permeability and enhances gene uptake. This review focuses on the advances in ultrasound and the development of ultrasonic particles for UTGD across a range of diseases. Furthermore, we discuss the limitations and future perspectives of UTGD.

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