Recent ultrasound advancements for the manipulation of nanobiomaterials and nanoformulations for drug delivery

[Display omitted] •Ultrasound improves the delivery of nanomaterials to delivery sites.•Ultrasound possesses advantages over conventional delivery systems.•Ultrasound displays promising potential in drug delivery for different diseases.•Acoustic cavitation induced by ultrasound significantly enhances drug efficacy.•Future development of US-assisted drug delivery is prospected. Recent advances in ultrasound (US) have shown its great potential in biomedical applications as diagnostic and therapeutic tools. The coupling of US-assisted drug delivery systems with nanobiomaterials possessing tailor-made functions has been shown to remove the limitations of conventional drug delivery systems. The low-frequency US has significantly enhanced the targeted drug delivery effect and efficacy, reducing limitations posed by conventional treatments such as a limited therapeutic window. The acoustic cavitation effect induced by the US-mediated microbubbles (MBs) has been reported to replace drugs in certain acute diseases such as ischemic stroke. This review briefly discusses the US principles, with particular attention to the recent advancements in drug delivery applications. Furthermore, US-assisted drug delivery coupled with nanobiomaterials to treat different diseases (cancer, neurodegenerative disease, diabetes, thrombosis, and COVID-19) are discussed in detail. Finally, this review covers the future perspectives and challenges on the applications of US-mediated nanobiomaterials.