Encyclopedia of Experiments: Immunology
A subscription to JoVE is required to view this content. Sign in or start your free trial.
Transcript
Begin with an anesthetized mouse and shave its head to improve ultrasound wave transmission.
Take a mixture of fluorescently labeled antibodies and microbubbles — a gas-filled core shell surrounded by a lipid layer. Inject them retro-orbitally into the mouse.
The injected microbubbles and antibodies enter the mouse's circulation and reach the brain.
Restrain the mouse and place an ultrasound gel-filled container on the shaved area.
Position the ultrasound transducer and transmit a high-frequency focused ultrasound wave.
The ultrasound waves cause microbubbles to expand and contract repeatedly.
This disrupts the tight junctions of the blood vessels in the brain and creates temporary localized openings.
These openings allow the labeled antibodies to exit the blood vessels and enter the mouse's brain.
Perform fluorescence imaging of the brain and locate fluorescent antibodies, confirming ultrasound-assisted antibody delivery in the mouse model.
