Ultrasound-driven microbubble motors for targeted myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury treatment

  • Mater Today Bio. 2026 Jun 13:39:103349. doi: 10.1016/j.mtbio.2026.103349.
Mingyuan Xu  1  2 ,  Jiaxin Shan  1  2 ,  Haichao Yang  2  3  4 ,  Jiaxu Wang  2  3  4 ,  Haobo Yang  1  2  4 ,  Jinhong Liu  1  2  4 ,  Jianfeng Chen  5 ,  Dandan Yu  1 ,  Tiecheng Zhang  6 ,  Meng Yang  1 ,  Wei Zhang  7 ,  Zhuo Wang  1  2  4 ,  Xiaoping Leng  1  2  8
Affiliations
  • 1. Department of Ultrasound, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, 150086, China.
  • 2. Ultrasound Molecular Imaging Joint Laboratory of Heilongjiang Province (International Cooperation), Harbin, 150086, China.
  • 3. Department of Ultrasound, the First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, 150001, China.
  • 4. Key Laboratories of Myocardial Ischemia, Harbin Medical University, Ministry of Education, Harbin, 150086, China.
  • 5. Laboratory Animal Center, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, 150086, China.
  • 6. Department of Magnetic Resonance Diagnosis, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, 150086, China.
  • 7. Department of Ultrasound, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100070, China.
  • 8. State Key Laboratory of Frigid Zone Cardiovascular Diseases (SKLFZCD), Harbin Medical University, Harbin, 150086, China.
PMID: 42368711 DOI: 10.1016/j.mtbio.2026.103349
Abstract

Myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury (MIRI) is a secondary pathological process that occurs after restoration of blood flow during the treatment of acute myocardial infarction. The effective prevention of MIRI is pivotal for optimizing therapeutic efficacy and improving long-term patient outcomes. In this study, we developed an ultrasound-driven, multilevel targeted bionic microbubble motor (CsA@NM-MBs motors) that can break through the vascular endothelial and cell membrane barriers to achieve precise, targeted drug delivery. The CsA@NM-MBs motors were coated with a neutrophil membrane, a highly biocompatible membrane with natural inflammatory targeting abilities, enabling active homing to damaged areas. Upon application of an external ultrasound field, the CsA@NM-MBs motors actively crossed the vascular endothelial barrier and reached the myocardial tissue in the MIRI area with precision. With the aid of ultrasound-targeted microbubble destruction (UTMD) technology, acoustic pores are formed on the cell membrane, enabling it to break through the cell barrier. The driving force generated by the explosion enables CsA to be delivered into cells, thereby achieving safe and efficient drug release. This ultrasound-driven cell membrane biomimetic multilevel targeting strategy significantly enhanced the enrichment and delivery efficiency of CsA at the injury site, providing a new approach for the treatment of MIRI.

Keywords
Cyclosporine A; Mobile micro-/nano motors; Myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury; Neutrophil membrane biomimicry; Ultrasound-driven.
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