Paclitaxel and rose bengal loaded microbubbles for the ultrasound targeted chemo-sonodynamic therapy of pancreatic cancer

Journal article

Despite significant advances in cancer treatment over the past five decades, survival outcomes for pancreatic cancer have remained largely unchanged. The effectiveness of chemotherapy as a treatment for pancreatic cancer is limited by the dense, protective tumour stroma, which impedes drug delivery. Ultrasound-targeted microbubble destruction (UTMD) has emerged as a promising strategy for enhancing the delivery of chemotherapy agents to solid tumours. In this study, we report the development and evaluation of a novel microbubble (MB) formulation, ST-001, which incorporates paclitaxel chemotherapy and a Rose Bengal sonosensitiser for targeted chemo-sonodynamic therapy of pancreatic cancer. The principle of UTMD using ST-001 was demonstrated in a murine model of pancreatic cancer, where B-mode ultrasound imaging was used to visualize MB accumulation within the tumour and its subsequent clearance following the application of therapeutic ultrasound. Preclinical efficacy studies demonstrated a significant survival advantage in ST-001 treated mice, which survived more than twice as long as those treated with standard Taxol, despite receiving only 14% of the paclitaxel dose. Additionally, a preclinical toxicology study in healthy mice demonstrated an excellent safety profile for ST-001, with no adverse effects observed in key hematological and blood biochemical markers, or in the histology of the spleen, liver, and kidneys.

Authors: Wright, J; Logan, K; McKaig, T; Kamila, S; McClenaghan, C

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Journal: European Journal of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics
• Volume: 218
• Article number: 114937
• Publication date: 2025-11-19
• Acceptance date: 2025-11-18
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ejpb.2025.114937
• EISSN: 1873-3441
• ISSN: 0939-6411
• Pmid: 41270840
• Language: English
• Keywords: pancreatic cancer; MBs; paclitaxel; Rose Bengal; ultrasound; targeted therapy