Controlled nanoparticle release from stable magnetic microbubble oscillations

Magnetic microbubbles (MMBs) are microbubbles (MBs) coated with magnetic nanoparticles (NPs). MMBs not only maintain the acoustic properties of MBs, but also serve as an important contrast agent for magnetic resonance imaging. Such dual-modality functionality makes MMBs particularly useful for a wide range of biomedical applications, such as localized drug/gene delivery. This article reports the ability of MMBs to release their particle cargo on demand under stable oscillation. When stimulated by ultrasound at resonant frequencies, MMBs of 450 nm to 200 μm oscillate in volume and surface modes. Above an oscillation threshold, NPs are released from the MMB shell and can travel hundreds of micrometers from the surface of the bubble. The migration of NPs from MMBs can be described with a force balance model. With this technology, we deliver doxorubicin-containing poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) particles across a physiological barrier both in vitro and in vivo , with a 18-fold and 5-fold increase in NP delivery to the heart tissue of zebrafish and tumor tissue of mouse, respectively. The penetration of released NPs in tissues is also improved. The ability to remotely control the release of NPs from MMBs suggests opportunities for targeted drug delivery through/into tissues that are not easily diffused through or penetrated.