Ultrasound and x-ray imageable poloxamer-based hydrogel for loco-regional therapy delivery in the liver

Intratumoral injections have the potential for enhanced cancer treatment efficacy while reducing costs and systemic exposure. However, intratumoral drug injections can result in substantial off-target leakage and are invisible under standard imaging modalities like ultrasound (US) and x-ray. A thermosensitive poloxamer-based gel for drug delivery was developed that is visible using x-ray imaging (computed tomography (CT), cone beam CT, fluoroscopy), as well as using US by means of integrating perfluorobutane-filled microbubbles (MBs). MBs content was optimized using tissue mimicking phantoms and