Abstract
Not all bubbles in the bloodstream are detrimental. During the past decade, contrast-enhanced ultrasound has evolved from a purely investigational tool to a routine diagnostic technique. This transformation has been facilitated by advances in the microbubble contrast agents and contrast-specific ultrasound imaging techniques. The ability to non-invasively image molecular events with targeted microbubbles is likely to be important for characterizing pathophysiology and for developing new therapeutic strategies in the treatment of cardiovascular and neoplastic diseases.
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J.R.L. is a scientific advisory board member for Bristol-Myers Squibb Medical Imaging, and is a minority owner of Targeson, LLC.
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Lindner, J. Microbubbles in medical imaging: current applications and future directions. Nat Rev Drug Discov 3, 527–533 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrd1417
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nrd1417
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