# Cerium-doped calcium carbonate microparticles combined with low-intensity ultrasound for efficient sonodynamic therapy in body sculpting

## TL;DR

A new noninvasive body sculpting method using cerium-doped calcium carbonate particles and low-intensity ultrasound effectively reduces fat in animal models.

## Contribution

A novel cerium-doped calcium carbonate sonosensitizer is introduced for noninvasive fat reduction via sonodynamic therapy.

## Key findings

- CaCO3:Ce particles combined with low-intensity ultrasound significantly reduced body weight and fat accumulation in rats.
- The particles showed excellent biocompatibility and generated reactive oxygen species under ultrasound exposure.
- Biochemical and histological analyses confirmed the safety of the treatment in animal models.

## Abstract

Excessive caloric intake and reduced energy expenditure contribute to obesity and localized fat accumulation, adversely affecting overall health. Despite advancements in obesity treatments, noninvasive approaches for targeted fat reduction remain limited. This study introduces a novel sonosensitizer microparticle, cerium-doped calcium carbonate (CaCO3:Ce), and evaluates its potential application in combination with low-intensity ultrasound (LIUS) for noninvasive body sculpting. CaCO3:Ce was synthesized via an environmentally friendly method, producing uniform 1.77 μm particles optimized for endocytosis. Energy-dispersive X-ray and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirmed successful cerium doping. The particles demonstrated excellent biocompatibility and generated reactive oxygen species under LIUS exposure. Safety was validated through biochemical, hematological, and histological analyses in Sprague–Dawley rats. Animal experiments further revealed that CaCO3:Ce combined with ultrasound significantly reduced body weight growth rates, waistline measurements, and subcutaneous fat accumulation. These findings suggest that CaCO3:Ce, coupled with LIUS, offers a promising, noninvasive, and low-risk strategy for body sculpting, addressing limitations of current methodologies.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13036-025-00505-z.