Factors Affecting the Endothelial Retention of Targeted Microbubbles: Influence of Microbubble Shell Design and Cell Surface Projection of the Endothelial Target Molecule

Microbubble targeting to endothelial ligands is influenced by (1) the tether length of the ligand, (2) the degree to which the endothelial target is projected from the cell surface, and (3) the status of the glycocalyx. These considerations are important for designing targeted imaging probes and understanding potential obstacles to molecular imaging.