Skip to main content
. 2023 May 30;15(6):1625. doi: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15061625

Table 5.

Microbubbles conjugated with targeted drug-loaded carriers used for therapy.

Carrier Type of
Targeting
Therapeutic
Molecule
Conjugation Chemistry Microbubble Composition Ultrasound
Parameters
Animal/Disease Model Reference
Nanoparticles Magnetic 5-fluorouracil
Rose Bengal
Avidin-biotin Shell: DBPC,
DSPE-PEG2000, -Biotin
Gas: O2
Diameter: 1–2 μm
Dose: 7.0 × 109 MBs/kg or 12.3 µL/kg MVD
f = 1 MHz
PNP = 0.85 MPa
DC = 30%
I = 3.5 W/cm2
PRF = 100 Hz
Time = 3.5 min
Mouse/Pancreatic tumor [106]
Magnetic Doxorubicin Amide Shell: DSPC, DSPG
DSPE-PEG2000, -Biotin
Gas: C3F8
Diameter: 5.4 ± 1.1 μm
Dose: 5.7 × 108 MBs/kg or 46.7 µL/kg MVD
f = 1 MHz
PNP = 0.3 MPa
DC = 30%
I = 3.5 W/cm2
PRF = 1 Hz
Time = 4 min
Rat/Glioma tumor [107]
Magnetic Gemcitabine
Rose Bengal
Avidin-biotin Shell: DBPC,
DSPE-PEG2000, -Biotin
Gas: O2
Diameter: 1.9 ± 0.4 μm
Dose: 5.4 × 109 MBs/kg or 19.5 µL/kg MVD
f = 1.17 MHz
PNP = 0.7 MPa
DC = 30%
Time = 3.5 min
Mouse/Pancreatic tumor [135]
Magnetic Doxorubicin Electrostatic and
hydrophobic
Shell: DSPC, DSPG
DSPE-PEG2000, -Biotin
Gas: C3F8
Diameter: 1.04 ± 0.01 μm
Dose: 9.7 × 1010 MBs/kg or 56.8 µL/kg MVD
f = 0.4 MHz
PNP = 0.325 MPa
Power = 4 W
PRF = 1 Hz
Time = 1.5 min
Rat/Glioma tumor [136]
Magnetic tPA Electrostatic Shell: SDS
Gas: Air
Diameter: 5.36 ± 1.44 μm
Dose: 6.4 × 1010 MBs/kg or 0.50 µL/kg MVD
f = 18 MHz
DC = 10%
Time = 5 min
Mouse/
Thrombolysis
[137]
Magnetic/
molecular
RGD Amide Shell: PVA
Gas: Air
Diameter: 1.37 μm
Dose: 5.4 × 108 MBs/kg or 0.70 µL/kg MVD
f = 30 MHz
Time = 10 min
Mouse/Colon cancer [138]
Liposomes Magnetic Doxorubicin Maleimide Shell: DPPC,
DSPE-PEG2000-SPDP
Gas: C3F8
Diameter: 4 μm
Dose: 7.0 × 109 MBs/kg or 233 µL/kg MVD
f = 1 MHz
DC = 30%
I = 2 W/cm2
Time = 2 min
Mouse/Pancreatic tumor [139]
Molecular: RGD peptide Paclitaxel Avidin-biotin Shell: DSPC,
DSPE-PEG2000, -Biotin
Gas: C3F8
Diameter: 1.5 μm
Dose: 1.1 × 1010 MBs/kg or 17.8 µL/kg MVD
f = 1 MHz
DC = 1%
PRF = 1 Hz
Time = 2 min
Mouse/Breast
cancer
[140]
Molecular:
NGR peptide
shBirc5
Avidin-biotin Shell: DPPC, Cholesterol
DSPE-PEG2000-Biotin
Gas: C3F8
Diameter: 2.90 ± 0.38 μm
Dose: 2.1 × 1010 MBs/kg or 265.6 µL/kg MVD
f = 1 MHz
DC = 50%
Power = 1.84 W
Time = 1–5 min
Rat/Glioma tumor [141]
Molecular:
VEGFR2 Ab
Irinotecan Avidin-biotin MicroMarker™
Shell: Phospholipid
Gas: C4F10/N2
Diameter: 1.5 μm
Dose: 4.7 × 109 MBs/kg or 8.2 µL/kg MVD
f = 2.2 MHz
PNP = 0.26 MPa
PRF = 1 Hz
Time = 4 min
Mouse/Colorectal cancer [142]
Nanodroplets Molecular:
VEGFR2 Ab
Combretastatin A4 Avidin-biotin Shell: DPPC, DSPE-PEG2000-Biotin
Gas: C4F10
Diameter: 2.6 ± 1.5 μm
Dose: unknown
f = 2.2 MHz
PNP = 0.26 MPa
PRF = 1 Hz
Time = 5 s
Mouse/Colorectal cancer [143]

DBPC:1,2-dibehenoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine; DSPG: 1,2-Distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phospho-rac-glycerol; DSPE-PEG2000: 1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine-N-[methoxy(polyethylene glycol) -2000]; DSPC: 1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine; SDS: Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate; PVA = Poly(vinyl alcohol); DPPC = 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine; C3F8 = perfluoropropane; C4F10 = perfluorobutane; O2 = oxygen; MVD = Microbubble Volume Dose; f = frequency; PRF = pulse repetition frequency; I = intensity; DC = duty cycle; PNP = peak negative pressure.