Figure 2.

Basic principle of ultrasound-microbubble (USMB)-mediated drug and gene delivery. When microbubbles flowing through the blood are exposed to the ultrasound field, they undergo rapid changes in size and shape (i.e., cavitation), inducing high shear stresses on the surrounding endothelium. This increases vascular permeability and cellular internalization (e.g., endocytosis), leading to targeted delivery of drugs/genes in the area of insonation. The result is enhanced delivery of therapeutic cargo to the local endothelium itself and to the organ being perfused. Created with BioRender.com.