Ultrasound‑Enhanced Drug Delivery: Applications and Therapeutic Advances
A special issue of Pharmaceutics (ISSN 1999-4923). This special issue belongs to the section "Drug Delivery and Controlled Release".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 March 2026 | Viewed by 31
Special Issue Editors
Interests: ultrasound therapy; thermal ablation; cavitation; ultrasound bio-effects; cancer research; vascular occlusion
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: HIFU; histotripsy; ultrasound therapy; cancer treatment; ablation; biological effects; immunology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The intersection of therapeutic ultrasound with advanced drug delivery systems has emerged as a powerful platform for improving treatment precision and efficacy. Beyond traditional imaging, ultrasound modalities, such as high-intensity focused ultrasound, histotripsy, ultrasound-induced cavitation, and sonoporation, are now being harnessed to enhance permeability across biological barriers, including the blood–brain barrier and tumor vasculature.
Microbubbles and ultrasound-responsive nanocarriers (e.g., liposomes and nanoparticles) enable localized release upon acoustic activation, significantly boosting therapeutic payload delivery while minimizing systemic toxicity. Innovations such as in situ drug synthesis via ultrasound-triggered pro-drug carriers and integration with theragnostic approaches are demonstrating substantial advances in oncology, neurology, and immunomodulation.
The goal of this Special Issue is to spotlight cutting-edge research that spans mechanistic studies, carrier design, modeling, preclinical investigations, and early-phase clinical trials. Contributions are encouraged in areas that include
- Ultrasound-mediated disruption to barriers to drug delivery (e.g., tumor microenvironment, BBB).
- Development of smart acoustic carriers for targeted delivery and controlled release.
- Sonodynamic and immune-enhancement therapies.
- Real-time image guidance and monitoring.
- Novel techniques such as ultrasound-activated drug synthesis or the intralesional delivery method.
- Basic biology, immunology, and physics investigations highlighting the effect of ultrasound on key signaling mechanisms.
We aim to connect fundamental insights with translational impact, supporting submissions that demonstrate improved pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics, safety profiles, and therapeutic outcomes leading toward clinical adoption.
We invite original research, reviews, or communication articles that contribute to the evolving landscape of ultrasound-enhanced drug delivery. We look forward to your innovative work shaping the future of precision therapeutics.
Prof. Dr. Gail Ter Haar
Dr. Petros Mouratidis
Guest Editors
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Keywords
- therapeutic ultrasound
- high‑intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU)
- focused ultrasound surgery (FUS)
- histotripsy
- sonoporation
- sonodynamic therapy
- drug delivery
- microbubbles
- nanoparticles
- cancer
- neurodegenerative conditions
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