Editorial: Biomedical advances in ultrasound-mediated drug/molecule delivery

Editorial on the Research Topic Biomedical advances in ultrasound-mediated drug/molecule delivery Despite the increasing number of innovative drugs and the development of novel targeted methods, therapeutic advances remain modest for many prevalent and costly diseases including neurodegenerative disorders, cancers, and cardiovascular diseases among others. One of the major therapeutic hurdles is the presence of biological barriers in multiple organs (e.g., endothelial and epithelial barriers, plasma membrane, interstitial pressure, detoxification processes, etc.). While they sustain organ/tissue homeostasis in physiological conditions, these barriers substantially impede the delivery of a vast majority of therapeutic molecules (e.g., chemotherapeutics, antibiotics, nucleic acids, antibodies, etc.) in diseased tissues, thus reducing their bioavailability and therapeutic effect. This challenge narrows the landscape of usable therapeutic molecules and drastically influences the design of many therapeutic protocols. Therefore, crossing of biological barriers in drug studies is undoubtedly a source of major RD investments in academia and pharmaceutical industry. For over 2 decades, therapeutic ultrasound (US) applications facilitating gene/drug delivery have been widely investigated, with some approaches being on the brink of reaching the bedside. Among these, using US-responsive particles injected systemically, e.g., microbubbles, to facilitate US-mediated, crossing of biological barriers has been shown to: 1) be applicable in a standardized and non-invasive fashion in laboratory animals and human subjects, and 2) render therapeutically-achievable drug/molecule biodistribution, supporting the clinical translatability of this modality. While these advances foresee a "blue sky" in the field, like in many medical specialties, the translation gap remains challenging to evaluate. One may ask-to what extent is a successful pre-clinical study predictive of the outcome of its clinical counterpart? Before devising a clinical study, it is essential to boost chances of clinical success by conducting impactful in-vitro and preclinical studies that can inform clinical trial design and enable technology translation.