Ultrasound and microbubbles for anticancer drug delivery: From physics to clinics

Ayache Bouakaz, PhD, Distinguished lecturer IEEE UFFC 2023

Gamble Room – RRL 361

Ultrasound, in conjunction with microbubbles, offers a promising drug delivery method. This approach, known as sonoporation, enables targeted drug delivery by temporarily permeating biological barriers (e.g., cell membrane, vessel wall) under ultrasound insonation. It shows potential for a wide range of therapeutic agents, including chemotherapeutics, nucleic acids, peptides, and antibodies. While preclinical studies have demonstrated promise, several challenges must be addressed for clinical translation. These include standardizing ultrasound parameters, selecting suitable microbubbles, identifying optimal clinical applications, and resolving questions about administration methods and treatment schedules. Additionally, the type and concentration of microbubbles, as well as their response to ultrasound activation, play critical roles. The ultimate goal is to facilitate the adoption of this technology in clinical settings, and ongoing and future trials aim to further advance drug delivery through sonoporation.

Ayache Bouakaz obtained his Master degree and his PhD in acoustics in 1992 and 1996 at the National Institute of Applied Sciences in Lyon, France (INSA Lyon). In 1998, he joined the Pennsylvania State University at State College, PA, USA as a post-doc for 2 years. From December 1999 to November 2004, he held a position of associate professor at Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. His research focused on ultrasound imaging, ultrasound contrast agents and transducer design.

In 2004, he obtained a position as an Inserm researcher and since 2009, he has held the position of research director in the Inserm Imaging and Brain institue, where he heads the ultrasound imaging and therapy group. His research focuses on imaging and therapeutic applications of ultrasound.

Ayache Bouakaz is a "chair professor" at the Jiaotong University of Xi'an in China since 2017. He is the general chair of the international conference IEEE International Ultrasonics Symposium (IEEE IUS) 2016 in Tours, France and co-general chair of the IEEE IUS 2021. He has served as the vice-president of the IEEE UFFC society in charge of Symposia from 2017- 2020.

He has published more than 214 articles in peer-reviewed journals, more than 100 articles published in conference proceedings and has filed 9 patents.

Contact information and affiliation:

Ayache Bouakaz, PhD Director of Research Inserm
Inserm Imaging & Brain Institute (U1253)
Faculté de Médecine
10 Boulevard Tonnellé
37032 Tours, France
Email: ayache.bouakaz@inserm.fr