Recent advances of focused ultrasound induced blood-brain barrier opening for clinical applications of neurodegenerative diseases

With the aging population on the rise, neurodegenerative disorders have taken center stage as a significant health concern. The blood–brain barrier (BBB) plays an important role to maintain the stability of central nervous system, yet it poses a formidable obstacle to delivering drugs for neurodegenerative disease therapy. Various methods have been devised to confront this challenge, each carrying its own set of limitations. One particularly promising noninvasive approach involves the utilization of focused ultrasound (FUS) combined with contrast agents—microbubbles (MBs) to achieve transient and reversible BBB opening. This review provides a comprehensive exploration of the fundamental mechanisms behind FUS/MBs-mediated BBB opening and spotlights recent breakthroughs in its application for neurodegenerative diseases. Furthermore, it addresses the current challenges and presents future perspectives in this field.