Ultrasound-mediated blood-brain barrier opening for targeted neurological drug delivery.
Ultrasound-mediated blood-brain barrier opening for targeted neurological drug delivery.
Where did the research take place?
The study site has not been established. Author addresses may differ from where the research occurred.
Nanjing, CN · Author affiliation
Nurturing Center of Jiangsu Province for State Laboratory of AI Imaging & Interventional Radiology, Basic Medicine Research and Innovation Center of Ministry of Education, State Key Laboratory of Digital Medical Engineering, Department of Radiology, Zhongda Hospital, Medical School of Southeast University, Nanjing, China.Location evidence
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Original abstract
Neurological disorders represent a devastating global health crisis, and the blood-brain barrier (BBB) remains a major obstacle for their treatment. Conventional strategies for BBB opening, including direct intracranial injection, osmotic disruption, receptor-mediated transcytosis, and nanoparticle carriers, often suffers from surgical invasiveness, systemic toxicity, poor biodistribution, and off-target effects. Ultrasound-mediated drug delivery has emerged as a revolutionary non-invasive technology for transient and targeted BBB opening, enabling enhanced penetration of therapeutic agents into the central nervous system. This review comprehensively summarizes the mechanisms underlying ultrasound-based delivery with focus on current delivery platforms including microbubble (MB)-assisted, nanoparticle-based, and MB-nanoparticle composite strategies. Furthermore, we highlight recent advances in the application of focused ultrasound (FUS) combined with MBs for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and glioma. Finally, we discuss emerging technologies such as sonodynamic therapy and ultrasound-controlled magnetic nanorobots, while also addressing current challenges in this field. This review underscores the transformative potential of ultrasound-mediated drug delivery as a versatile platform for precision neurology. It also prospects future directions for advancing multidisciplinary research and clinical translation.