Researcher: Euisuk Chung
For effective drug delivery, the drug delivery carrier must be biocompatible, ensuring that it does not provoke an adverse toxicity in the body. Additionally, the system should minimize off-target exposure, which refers to the unintended distribution of the drug to non-target areas, as this can lead to side effects and reduced therapeutic efficacy. Furthermore, the ability to monitor the biodistribution of the drug is essential. This involves tracking where the drug accumulates within the body, which can provide valuable insights into its performance and effectiveness. Lastly, the system must enable precise control over drug release at the target site. This means that healthcare providers can adjust the release rate and timing of the drug, ensuring that the intended therapeutic effect is achieved.
For this, we developed double-emulsion perfluorocarbon nanodroplets (dePFCnDs) consisting of a core to load hydrophilic drugs and a surrounding PFC layer for dePFCnD imaging. When lased, the PFC layer of dePFCnDs vaporizes and recondenses without drug release, allowing for tracking via US/PA imaging. Once imaged, dePFCnDs can be disrupted by focused ultrasound (FUS) to enable image-guided drug release.
The developed nanodroplet enables minimal drug leakage, high drug loading capacity, and selective ultrasound responsiveness while allowing for the simultaneous tracking and estimation of drug release during therapy. Moreover, the ability to integrate mechanical, thermal, and chemical therapeutic effects within a single treatment session highlights the versatility of this approach for clinical applications.