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Curcumin loaded ultrasound contrast agents for drug delivery to tumor cells
Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:
http://hdl.handle.net/1860/3374
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| Title: | Curcumin loaded ultrasound contrast agents for drug delivery to tumor cells |
| Authors: | Nagaraja, Archana Sidalaghatta |
| Keywords: | Biomedical engineering
Drug delivery systems
Ultrasound contrast media |
| Issue Date: | 30-Sep-2010 |
| Abstract: | Curcumin (diferuloylmethane) is obtained from Curcuma longa, a rhizome which has been used for centuries in traditional Indian and Chinese medicine and diet. This hydrophobic phenol has several documented biological and pharmaceutical activities (including anti-cancer effects). However, the low solubility and degradation of Curcumin at neutral pH limits its therapeutic potential. Encapsulating the drug in a hydrophobic core of a microbubble would prevent the drug from degradation, and permit site-specific delivery of Curcumin to tissue.
Ultrasound targeted microbubble destruction is a non-invasive method of imaging tumors. Ultrasound contrast agents (UCA) are less than 6 μm and can be designed to administer drugs. Ultrasound also transiently increases the permeability of cell membrane for drug uptake.
The microbubbles used for this study range from 1-3 μm and are made of surfactant-mixture with a gas core (of perfluorocarbon). The surfactants were chosen as they are shown to overcome drug-resistance of the tumor cells by inhibiting the Pglycoprotein.
The goal of this study was to load Curcumin on surfactant-stabilized microbubbles without compromising on the echogenicity and stability of the microbubbles. Intrinsic fluorescence was used to quantify the amount of Curcumin loaded into the microbubbles. Cell studies were also conducted using two breast cancer cell lines to study cell-death. |
| URI: | http://hdl.handle.net/1860/3374 |
| Appears in Collections: | Drexel Theses and Dissertations
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