Recent Advances in the Use of Ultrasound to Enhance Drug Delivery and Efficacy for the Treatment of Cancer

Dear Colleagues,

Therapeutic ultrasound is under investigation for the treatment of more than 150 indications, including tumors in prostate, breast, liver, pancreas, kidney, and other soft tissues. Significant research activity is being devoted to investigating ultrasound as a means of enhancing delivery and efficacy of drugs, biotherapeutics, and genetic material in these tumors. Sonication of tissues can induce local heating, or mechanical effects, resulting in the activation of drug delivery systems and the enhancement of drug concentration in the target tissue. It can also be used as an adjuvant to enhance the efficacy of chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and immunotherapy. There is growing interest in the use of low-intensity ultrasound in combination with microbubbles to open the blood–brain barrier and disrupt the tumor microenvironment, improving access to the interstitium of malignant lesions. This Special Issue aims to highlight and capture contemporary progress and the current landscape of preclinical and clinical applications of ultrasonic therapeutic agents and related drugs in the treatment of cancer. We are pleased to invite you to submit articles on all aspects of “The Use of Ultrasound to Enhance Drug Delivery and Efficacy in the Treatment of Cancer”.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following: ultrasound-based drug delivery; applications of ultrasound in cancer therapy and imaging; sonodynamic therapy; blood–brain barrier opening.

Prof. Dr. Gail Ter Haar
Dr. Petros Mouratidis
Dr. Ian Rivens
Guest Editors

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