Ultrasound-responsive diagnostic and therapeutic micro-/nanoplatforms for biomedical applications and clinical translation

Ultrasound is a widely utilized diagnostic and therapeutic tool in biomedicine due to its non-invasiveness, biocompatibility, cost-effectiveness, and high tissue penetration depth. With the continuous development of materials science and nanomedicine, ultrasound-based diagnosis and treatment have achieved significant advancements. By combining ultrasound as a trigger with responsive biomaterials, platforms with diagnostic and therapeutic performance for specific diseases could be established, offering a promising approach for the development of precise medicine. Through various synthesis and material modification techniques, diverse biomaterials are endowed with diagnostic or therapeutic properties. While ensuring their biocompatibility and biosafety, their tissue targeting specificity is enhanced, thereby minimizing adverse drug reactions. In this review, we introduce the biological effects of ultrasound and the classification of ultrasound-responsive micro-/nanoplatforms, and systematically describe the relevant applications in the diagnostic imaging and treatment of tumors, cardiovascular diseases, infectious diseases, neurological diseases, and metabolic diseases. Finally, we summarized relevant clinical trials in this field and proposed challenges and solutions in the process of clinical translation to better promote the widespread clinical application of this technology and provide novel avenues for the development of clinical diagnostic and therapeutic technologies.