Exploration of Ultrasound-Sensitive Biomaterials in Cancer Theranostics

Cancer is a serious health problem to be solved. With the development of biomaterials, enhanced diagnostic and controllable therapeutic strategies for cancer have emerged, revealing encouraging results with a promising future. Due to its outstanding tissue penetration and controllability, along with a series of bioeffects on tissues, ultrasound (US), as a common medical technology, has been regarded as an effective tool against cancer, and its use has promoted the exploration of US-sensitive biomaterials. In this review, the bioeffects of US are first introduced and then the main US-sensitive biomaterials (containing cavitation nuclei, sonosensitizers, and US-responsive macromolecular systems) used to treat cancer, followed by a summary of several applications based on US-sensitive biomaterials, from diagnosis to therapy. Finally, the emerging challenges in this field that need to be overcome are highlighted. This review reports the progress of US-sensitive biomaterials, providing new possibilities in cancer theranostics and thus benefiting patients. Medical US can interact with tissues, inducing thermal and non-thermal effects. Based on these, an increasing number of US-sensitive materials (mainly cavitation nuclei, sonosensitizers, and stimuli-responsive macromolecular systems) have been explored. Relative applications for cancer based on these biomaterials include enhanced US imaging, US-responsive drug delivery, SDT, and US-activated engineered bacteria therapy.image