[PUBLICATION] Therapeutic efficacy of in-vivo IL-12 plasmid delivery using microbubble-assisted ultrasound in a B16F10 mouse melanoma model: a proof of concept

In this study, we explored a promising strategy to make melanoma immunotherapy safer, simpler, and more targeted. Instead of injecting IL-12 systemically — which is powerful but can cause severe side effects — we used microbubble-assisted ultrasound to deliver an IL-12–encoding plasmid directly inside the tumor.

And it worked!

• In vitro, ultrasound + microbubbles massively boosted IL-12 production in melanoma cells and spheroids, while plasmid alone did almost nothing.
• In vivo, this approach increased IL-12 levels by 5× compared to direct injection, enhanced NK cell recruitment and activation, and even reduced tumor volume 2.5× by day 15, leading to better overall health in treated mice.

These results show that MB-assisted ultrasound is a powerful and non-invasive way to deliver immunostimulatory molecules directly where they’re needed — opening new possibilities for melanoma therapy.

A special thanks to Centre-Val de Loire Region , our main funder of IRIS Project, whose support made this research possible.