Methodology for tailoring target-specific ultrasound contrast agent production with pre-formed ligand-phospholipid bioconjugates

Stanford researchers have developed a new controllable methodology for molecularly targeted ultrasound contrast agent production with pre-formed ligand-phospholipid bioconjugates. This approach solves the issue of consistency in producing ready-to-use and clinically translatable ultrasound molecular imaging agents targeted against biomarkers representing pathological angiogenesis or abnormal cells present in cancer or inflammatory diseases. Small protein ligands engineered to bind disease biomarkers are used to form ligand-phospholipid conjugates and incorporated into gas-filled contrast agents using conventional production methods or microfluidics-based platforms. This tailored target-specific ultrasound contrast agent production method overcomes the current limitations in producing uniformly targeted microbubbles in a scalable, economical, and reproducible manner.

Stage of Development
Pre-clinical testing for target binding and contrast signal properties
The microbubbles are being tested in animal models of breast cancer for tumor detection by preclinical and clinical ultrasound imaging systems.