何奕儒 Yi-Ju Ho (Lucy)

My research focuses on modulating the microcirculation and microenvironment for local drug delivery, reoxygenation, and immune activation in tumors or organs using multifunctional nano- or microbubbles activated by focused ultrasound.

• Ultrasound diagnosis and therapy​

• Acoustic-responsive drug carriers: microbubbles, nanodroplets

• Tumor therapy: anti-angiogenesis, vascular normalization, microenvironment modulation 

• Cardiovascular diseases: acoustio-mechanical local oxygen therapy

5-year review

In previous studies by me and my team, the optimal fabrication and initial biosafety of oxygen-loaded nano- and microbubbles have been demonstrated to release oxygen locally in vitro and in vivo when triggered by focused ultrasound. The reoxygenation and mechanical massage induced by these bubbles resulted in murine tumor vascular normalization, further modifying the tumor microenvironment, promoting drug penetration, activating anti-tumor immunity, and enhancing therapeutic efficacy. Moreover, vasodilation and reduced inflammatory responses in the murine ischemic vessel model have also been shown to promote vessel repair.

Short-term goals

In the coming years, my team and I will demonstrate the biomechanisms of tumor or organ microenvironment modulation induced by oxygen-loaded nano- or microbubble that are activated by focused ultrasound. We will provide sufficient and reliable evidence for the biosafety and therapeutic value of oxygen-loaded bubble applications to support their transfer and expansion into clinical research.

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