[PUBLICATION] Targeted inner ear delivery of gadolinium using microbubble-assisted ultrasound in an ovine model

New Publication – Advancing Inner Ear Drug Delivery

We are proud to share our latest publication in the International Journal of Pharmaceutics: “Targeted inner ear delivery of gadolinium using microbubble-assisted ultrasound in an ovine model.”

Congratulations to Fabrice Micaletti, ENT physician and PhD candidate, who led this work as first author under the supervision of Prof. David Bakhos and Dr. Jean-Michel Escoffre.

This study is a strong example of translational research bridging the iBraiN laboratory (INSERM / Université de Tours) and the ENT Department at CHRU de Tours.
 

What did we show?

Delivering drugs to the inner ear remains a major challenge due to the limited permeability of the round window membrane. In this study, we evaluated microbubble-assisted ultrasound (sonoporation) in a sheep model — whose cochlear anatomy closely resembles humans — using gadolinium as an MRI tracer.

Key findings:

• Faster and significantly enhanced diffusion into the cochlea compared to conventional transtympanic injection

• A 3.5-fold greater residual inner ear concentration at Day 7

• No auditory, vestibular, anatomical, or metabolomic toxicity detected

These results support the translational potential of ultrasound-mediated strategies to improve local drug delivery for hearing disorders. From advanced MRI imaging to auditory brainstem responses and perilymph metabolomics, this project reflects a true bench-to-bedside approach.

This work was supported, in part, by the House Institute Foundation and Fabrice Micaletti received funding for his research year from the Faculté de Médecine de Tours.
  #DrugDelivery #Ultrasound #HearingLoss