Squeezing tissue with ultrasound for drug delivery
Squeezing tissue with ultrasound for drug delivery lead image
Conventional methods of ultrasound-driven drug transport use heat or cavitation. In contrast, the squeezing interstitial fluid via transfer of ultrasound momentum (SIF-TUM) method is purely mechanical. SIF-TUM uses ultrasound to compress tissue and generate an interstitial fluid stream. When the ultrasound is turned off, the tissue recovers and the stream backflows, creating a fluid motion that can be used to transport drugs and other nanoparticles.
Whereas previous studies investigated this technique theoretically, Ren et al. experimentally demonstrated SIF-TUM, employing the technique to mechanically drive interstitial fluid and transport nanoparticles in ex vivo animal tissues.
They found that the velocity of the transported nanoparticles depends more on the properties of the tissue than on the ultrasound strength. For example, nanoparticles moved about 8.75 times faster in porcine muscle than in chicken breast. This is due to the structural differences of these types of tissue and highlights the potential use of SIF-TUM for controlled drug distribution in dense tissues, such as tumors.
“This non-thermal, non-invasive approach could overcome major limitations in nanomedicine, such as poor penetration in tumors,” said author Baohong Yuan. “By experimentally confirming SIF-TUM, we bridge theory with real-world applications, paving the way for safer, more efficient drug delivery and imaging strategies that are adaptable to different tissue types.”
Next, the authors hope to demonstrate SIF-TUM in in vivo tissues, as well as maximize nanoparticle transport efficiency through nanoparticle and ultrasound optimization. Future studies to understand how tissue properties, including elasticity and porosity, affect nanoparticle transport will help tailor this method for different clinical applications, such as drug delivery, tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, and ultrasound-enhanced diagnostic imaging.
Source: “Experimental studies on squeezing interstitial fluid via transfer of ultrasound momentum (SIF-TUM) in ex vivo chicken and porcine tissues,” by Liqin Ren, Na Thi Vy Nguyen, Tingfeng Yao, Kytai T. Nguyen, and Baohong Yuan, Journal of Applied Physics (2025). The article can be accessed at https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0235806 .
