Abstract
Cancer is the leading cause of death in Japan, and most of the cancer patients die relation to the metastasis. However, there is still no reliable treatment for metastatic lymph nodes (LNs). In the present study, we propose a drug delivery method via lymph network for metastatic LNs using ultrasound and nano/micro bubbles. We used MXH10/Mo-lpr/lpr mice, which develop systemic swelling of lymph nodes up to 10 mm in diameter, similar in size to human lymph node. The tumor cells were injected into the upper stream LN; the subiliac LN (SiLN) and the metastasis was induced into the downstream LN; the proper axillary LN (PALN). A dye or anticancer agent were injected into another upper stream LN; the accessory axillary LN (AALN). We visualized that the dye can be delivered into the metastatic LN via the lymphatic vessel. In addition, the effectiveness of new lymphatic drug delivery method was examined. We anticipate that the present method has a potential to treat metastatic LNs.
