KES8-1595
Polymer Mechanochemistry enables the Activation of Drugs and Biologicals by Biocompatible Ultrasound
Topic
S8. Frontiers of Functional Polymers in Biology and Medicine
When and Where
Sep 29, 2026
10:50 - 11:15
Room 108
Session Chairs
Hwan Drew KIM
Presenter(s)
Andreas Herrmann (RWTH Aachen University)
Co-Author(s)
Abstract
Optogenetics has enabled the fundamental understanding of neural circuits and disorders.[1,2] However, current optogenetic techniques are strongly impaired by the low penetration depth of light into tissue. Therefore, ultrasound (US) was used as alternative trigger since US can deeply penetrate tissue with high spatiotemporal control. Our group develops general molecular technologies based on polymer mechanochemistry to control the activity of drugs, proteins and nucleic acids by US.[3,4,5,6,7] While initial efforts relied on low frequency (20 kHz) US that is destructive to cells and tissues, our current efforts are dedicated to two technology platforms that allow the activation of bioactive compounds by biocompatible imaging US and low intensity focussed US (LIFU). The first technology relies on high molecular weight polynucleic acids that are produced by rolling circle amplification or transcription and that encode multiple binding sites for drugs, proteins and nucleic acids. Once these loaded nucleic acid carriers are subjected to ultrasonication, covalent and non-covalent bond cleavage occurs by collapse of US-induced cavitation bubbles leading to activation of cargoes. In this way, gene knock-down in vitro was achieved by liberating siRNA and immune-stimulation was successfully realized in vivo by activating CpG oligonucleotides.[7] Similarly, protein activity can be switched on by US, involving the mechanochemical activation of a protease that subsequently triggers split intein function for controlling the activity of a broad scope of proteins.[8] A second platform technology for low-intensity US activation is mechanophore-incorporated microbubbles that also allow the spatiotemporally controlled release of bioactives.[9,10]
