Innovative Drug Delivery Utilizes Ultrasound

A new delivery method for cancer drugs first packages a drug in tiny molecules of water-soluble plastic so it will not interact while passing through a patient's bloodstream, then uses ultrasound to release the drug from its package at the specific part of the body affected by cancer. The method was reported in the December 2002 issue of Cancer Research.

The delivery method was successfully tested in laboratory animals by researchers at Brigham Young University (BYU, Provo, Utah). It is designed to concentrate the impact of cancer drugs on specific cancerous tissues while sparing the rest of the body from harm. The tests produced significant reductions of tumor size in the animals. In fact, the researchers found that the application of the drug in combination with ultrasound significantly reduced the tumor size when compared to tumors that were not exposed to ultrasound.

"This method shows potential in offering controlled drug delivery, which could reduce the negative side effects that arise during chemotherapy and could localize the treatment at the tumor site,” said William G. Pitt, professor of chemical engineering at BYU and principal investigator on the project. He cautions that human application is still several years away.




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