Nanobubble technologies: Applications in therapy from molecular to cellular level
Helena H.W.B. Hansen, Haotian Cha, Lingxi Ouyang, Jun Zhang, Bo Jin, Helen Stratton, Nam‐Trung Nguyen, Hongjie An
Abstract
Nanobubbles are gaseous entities suspended in bulk liquids that have widespread beneficial usage in many industries. Nanobubbles are already proving to be versatile in furthering the effectiveness of disease treatment on cellular and molecular levels. They are functionalized with biocompatible and stealth surfaces to aid in the delivery of drugs. At the same time, nanobubbles serve as imaging agents due to the echogenic properties of the gas core, which can also be utilized for controlled and targeted delivery. This review provides an overview of the biomedical applications of nanobubbles, covering their preparation and characterization methods, discussing where the research is currently focused, and how they will help shape the future of biomedicine.