High intensity focused ultrasound technology, its scope

and applications in therapy and drug delivery.

Ultrasonography is a safe, inexpensive and wide-spread diagnostic tool capable of

producing real-time non-invasive images without significant biological effects.

However, the propagation of higher energy, intensity and frequency ultrasound

waves through living tissues can induce thermal, mechanical and chemical

effects useful for a variety of therapeutic applications. With the recent development

of clinically approved High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) systems,

therapeutic ultrasound is now a medical reality. Indeed, HIFU has been

used for the thermal ablation of pathological lesions; localized, minimally

invasive ultrasound-mediated drug delivery through the transient formation

of pores on cell membranes; the temporary disruption of skin and the blood

brain barrier; the ultrasound induced break-down of blood clots; and the

targeted release of drugs using ultrasound and temperature sensitive

drug carriers. This review seeks to engage the pharmaceutical research

ùcommunity by providing an overview on the biological effects of

ultrasound as well as highlighting important therapeutic applications, current

deficiencies and future directions.