Orally administered oxygen nanobubbles enhance tumor response to sonodynamic therapy

Suspensions of oxygen-filled bubbles are under active investigation as potential means relieving tissue hypoxia. Intravenous administration large quantities is, however, undesirable. Previous work by the authors has demonstrated that tumor oxygen levels can be increased following oral phospholipid stabilized nanobubbles. The aim this study was to determine whether would enhance efficacy sonodynamic therapy (SDT), which is known inhibited in hypoxic tissue. Experiments were conducted a murine model pancreatic cancer. Animals treated with SDT (intratumoural injection 1 mM Rose Bengal followed exposure MHz ultrasound, 0.1 kHz pulse repetition frequency, 30% duty cycle, 3.5 W cm−2 for minutes) either or without prior gavage bubbles. A statistically significant reduction rate growth observed groups receiving nanobubbles 5 20 minutes before SDT. Separate measurements using fiber optic probe and expression hypoxia inducible factor (HIF)1α excision, confirmed change levels. These findings offer potentially promising new approach order facilitate cancer therapy.