Today, ultrasound (US) applications in medicine are so extensive that one cannot imagine
routine clinical practice without them. US applications provide non-invasive, cost-efficient
and well-developed modalities for imaging and diagnostics. In addition, several therapeutic
approaches involving US have gained public acceptance and compliance. For example, highintensity
focused US (HIFU) is used to ablate solid tumors and tissue regions, and lithotripter
shockwaves are used to destroy kidney stones.
The introducing of the first microbubble US contrast agents (MBs) has brought a great
improvement in US diagnostics. Until the 1990’s, they were mainly used for right heart
opacification and cardiac shunt diagnostics. This approach was limited due to MBs’ low
stability and large size, making them unable to pass pulmonary capillaries after intravenous
injection. Developing stable and sufficiently small gas filled MBs allowed systemic
circulation of an effective US contrast agent after intravenous injection, thus opening a wide
range of new diagnostic applications. More recently, such MBs have evolved into a promising
carrier for therapeutic substances. This work will focus on the aspects of pharmaceutical
developing of MB carriers for site specific tumor and gene therapy