Microbubbles and ultrasound: Therapeutic applications in diabetic nephropathy

Abstract

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) remains one of the most common causes of end-stage renal disease. Current therapeutic strategies aiming at optimization of serum glucose and blood pressure are beneficial in early stage DN, but are unable to fully prevent disease progression. With the limitations of current medical therapies and the shortage of available donor organs for kidney transplantation, the need for novel therapies to address DN complications and prevent progression towards end-stage renal failure is crucial. The development of ultrasound technology for non-invasive and targeted in-vivo gene delivery using high power ultrasound and carrier microbubbles offers great therapeutic potential for the prevention and treatment of DN. The promising results from preclinical studies of ultrasound- mediated gene delivery (UMGD) in several DN animal models suggest that UMGD offers a unique, non-invasive platform for gene- and cell-based therapies targeted against DN with strong clinical translation potential.