Ultrasound beam triggers ‘nanodroplets’ to deliver drugs at exactly the right spot

Scientists from the University of Utah have found a way to deliver drugs to a specific area of the body by using nanocarriers activated by ultrasound waves. The nanocarriers are minuscule droplets with a hollow outer shell composed of polymer molecules. Within the shell is an inner core of hydrophobic molecules that are mixed with an equally hydrophobic drug of interest. To release the drug, the researchers send ultrasound waves, which are thought to cause the hydrophobic molecules to expand, stretching out the droplet's shell. The drug then diffuses out to the cells, organs, or tissues where it is required.