Ultrasound-enhanced drug dispersion through solid tumours and its possible role in aiding ultrasound-targeted cancer chemotherapy

Abstract

It has been demonstrated that inadequate dispersion of cancer chemotherapeutic drugs throughout the tissues of larger, relatively poorly vascularised tumours compromises the therapeutic effectiveness of such drugs. Recently we demonstrated that electric fields could be exploited to achieve dispersion of a cancer chemotherapeutic drug through relatively impermeable tissues of a poorly vascularised solid tumour model. Using a modified Sonidel SP100 sonoporator we demonstrate that ultrasound may enhance the toxicity of a cancer chemotherapeutic drug by dispersing the drug through relatively impermeable tissues of a non-vascularised tumour model in vivo. We suggest that such a phenomenon may play a significant role in ultrasound targeting of cancer chemotherapeutic drugs, particularly in the treatment of solid tumours.