Search

Ultrasound therapy and considerable progress in molecular imaging technologies have allowed the use of ultrasonic microbubbles not only in image enhancement but also in targeted drug or gene delivery as drug or gene carriers, respectively. Hence, ultrasound microbubbles carrying drugs or genes have become a novel type of tumor-targeting therapy technology. They do not emit radiation and are thus safe. Additionally, they are efficient and easy to reuse and facilitate drug or gene release. All these features offer attractive prospects for the treatment of liver cancer and provide novel treatment ideas for the disease. This article reviews the mechanism, applications, and existing problems of ultrasonic microbubbles in the treatment of liver cancer.

Human beings develop a highly coordinated and flexible system of social behavior and threat evaluation. In this review we focus on the unique role of early life adversity (ELA) in programming deficits in social behavior and threat processing, and provides guidance on future investigations in the areas of stress reactivity and mental health. We propose that neuroendocrine perturbations of hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and gene activity by epigenetic mechanisms may explain how early adverse circumstances may lead to post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The detailed exploration of the interaction of stress as environmental factor and epigenetic and genetic regulation in HPA axis may improve targeted interventions among vulnerable individuals. We are convinced that further studies following these directions will contribute to effective prevention and treatment of PTSD in early traumatized patients.