Microbubble: A Potential Ultrasound Tool in Molecular Imaging

Advances in molecular biology and biochemistry have dramatically increased our understanding of disease. The molecular mechanisms are the pathogenic basis of disease is changing modern medicine. New drugs often inhibit specific key pathways. In nuclear medicine, molecular imaging agents have been used for years, but most contrast agents for MRI or CT today are unspecific. The diagnosis is based on alterations in morphology and basic physiology, all of which are late manifestations of the original molecular changes. There are only few more specific contrast agents available. Microbubbles are the one, of size of blood cells are used as contrast agents for ultrasound imaging and are particularly valuable for targeting selected tissues and for providing useful information about the efficacy of chemotherapy. The exploitation of microbubble agents can be achieved when there is a full understanding of the bubble/ultrasound interaction for microbubbles freely suspended in blood or attached to blood vessel walls. Microbubbles are promising tool for targeting chemotherapeutics, polypeptides and genetic material to its target in body.