1346results about "General/multifunctional contrast agents" patented technology

The present invention provides molecules, including IgGs, non-IgG immunoglobulin, proteins and non-protein agents, that have increased in vivo half-lives due to the presence of an IgG constant domain, or a portion thereof that binds the FcRn, having one or more amino acid modifications that increase the affinity of the constant domain or fragment for FcRn. Such proteins and molecules with increased half-lives have the advantage that smaller amounts and or less frequent dosing is required in the therapeutic, prophylactic or diagnostic use of such molecules.

The present invention provides multifunctional magnetic nanoparticle probe compositions for molecular imaging and monitoring, comprising a nucleic acid or polypeptide probe, a delivery ligand, and a magnetic nanoparticle having a biocompatible coating thereon. The probe compositions may further comprise a fluorescent or luminescent resonance energy transfer moiety. Also provided are compositions comprising two or more such multifunctional magnetic nanoparticle probes for molecular imaging or monitoring. In particular, the nucleic acid or polypeptide probes bind to a target and generate an interaction observable with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or optical imaging. The invention thereby provides detectable signals for rapid, specific, and sensitive detection of nucleic acids, polypeptides, and interactions thereof in vivo.

An in vivo examining device and method are described. The in vivo examining device has two operational phases; an initial phase in which the device is of initial dimensions and a final phase in which the device is of final dimensions. In the initial phase the device can pass freely through a normally configured body lumen whereas it may not be able to pass freely through an abnormally configured lumen. In the final phase the device can pass freely through a body lumen even if it is abnormally configured.

The invention is directed towards mouse-human chimeric variants of CC49 monoclonal antibodies with minimal murine content. A first aspect of the invention provides CDR variants of humanized monoclonal antibody (HuCC49) in which less than all six (three heavy chain and three light chain) Complementarity Determining Regions (CDRs) of CC49 are present. A second aspect of the invention provides SDR variants of humanized monoclonal antibody (HuCC49) in which only Specificity Determining Regions (SDRs) of at least one CDR from CC49 are present. The invention is also directed towards biotechnological methods of making the variants and therapeutic methods of using the variants.

Method and apparatus for monitoring a patient having a tumor to determine perfusion tumor heterogeneity wherein a solution containing a tracer, preferably a <2>H-saline solution is infused into the patient's bloodstream at a predetermined slow rate to effect perfusion into the tumor. An MRI machine is adjusted to acquire a set of dynamic <2>H magnetic resonance images of the tumor. The <2>H-images are obtained before infusion, during infusion and post infusion. First, the obtained images are processed to quantitatively determine perfusion per voxel of the images. Next, maps of perfusion parameters are generated to indicate spatial distribution of tumor perfusion. The maps are displayed in color code and analyzed.

The present disclosure provides drug-ligand conjugates and drug-cleavable substrate conjugates that are potent cytotoxins. The disclosure is also directed to compositions containing the drug-ligand conjugates, and to methods of treatment using them.

The present invention relates to altering the physical and/or chemical properties of at least part of at least one tissue in the eye. In a specific embodiment, it relates to the treatment and/or prevention of myopia. An activating energy source is utilized to photopolymerize or crosslink molecules in the sclera, thereby increasing the strength of the tissue. The individual is administered a crosslinking reagent or photopolymerizable molecule that becomes associated with the membrane, which is then precisely exposed to an energy source, such as light or ultrasound.

The present invention relates to amphiphilic polymers, and micelles and compositions comprising the same, and their use in a variety of biological settings, including imaging, targeting drugs, or a combination thereof for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes.

Pain factors are labeled with targeted agents or markers delivered into the body. The labeled pain factors are imaged with appropriate imaging tools in a manner allowing selective identification and localization of areas of pain source or transmission. The labeled pain factors allow spatial differentiation in the imaging sufficient to specify the location of the pain so as to drive therapeutic decisions and techniques in order to treat the pain. Pain factors labeled and imaged in this manner may include one or more of nerve factors, blood vessel factors, cellular factors, and inflammation factors. Labeled markers may include for example radioactive materials (e.g. tritiated or iodinated molecules) or other materials such as metal (e.g. gold) nanoparticles. Intermediary binding materials may be used, such as for example bi-specific antibodies. Therapeutic components of the system and method include for example localized energy delivery or ablation treatments, or local drug or other chemical delivery. Locations containing pain factor selectively bound by targeted agents are selectively treated with directed energy into a region containing the targeted agent bound to the pain factor.

In certain embodiments this invention provides a nanoparticle-based technology platform for multimodal in vivo imaging and therapy. The nanoparticle-based probes detects diseased cells by MRI, PET or deep tissue Near Infrared (NIR) imaging, and are capable of detecting diseased cells with greater sensitivity than is possible with existing technologies. The probes also target molecules that localize to normal or diseased cells, and initiates apoptosis of diseased cells.

Various injectable or insertable uterine fibroid treatment formulations are provided, which comprise a uterine fibroid treatment agent in an amount effective to cause shrinkage or elimination of uterine fibroids. The injectable or insertable formulations are typically solids, semi-solids or high-viscosity fluids. Other aspects of the invention are directed to systems and methods for treatment of uterine fibroids.

The present invention provides novel methods for monitoring subject adherence in taking prescribed drugs by detecting markers in exhaled breath after a subject takes the prescribed drug. In particular, the present invention provides novel methods for making additives that are combined with the drug(s). Upon biological breakdown of the drug/additive formulation in a subject's body, markers resulting directly from the biological breakdown of the additives are detected in exhaled breath using sensor technology. In certain embodiments of the invention, the drug adherence monitoring systems and methods include a reporting system capable of tracking subject compliance (either remotely or proximately) and of providing necessary alerts to the subject, caregiver, healthcare provider, and the like.

The present invention provides a fluorescent silica-based nanoparticle that allows for precise detection, characterization, monitoring and treatment of a disease such as cancer. The nanoparticle has a range of diameters including between about 0.1 nm and about 100 nm, between about 0.5 nm and about 50 nm, between about 1 nm and about 25 nm, between about 1 nm and about 15 nm, or between about 1 nm and about 8 nm. The nanoparticle has a fluorescent compound positioned within the nanoparticle, and has greater brightness and fluorescent quantum yield than the free fluorescent compound. The nanoparticle also exhibits high biostability and biocompatibility. To facilitate efficient urinary excretion of the nanoparticle, it may be coated with an organic polymer, such as poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG). The small size of the nanoparticle, the silica base and the organic polymer coating minimizes the toxicity of the nanoparticle when administered in vivo. In order to target a specific cell type, the nanoparticle may further be conjugated to a ligand, which is capable of binding to a cellular component associated with the specific cell type, such as a tumor marker. In one embodiment, a therapeutic agent may be attached to the nanoparticle. To permit the nanoparticle to be detectable by not only optical fluorescence imaging, but also other imaging techniques, such as positron emission tomography (PET), single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), computerized tomography (CT), bioluminescence imaging, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), radionuclides/radiometals or paramagnetic ions may be conjugated to the nanoparticle.

The present invention provides compounds of the formula X—R¹-D-[Dpr, Orn or Lys](A)-R²(Z)-D-[Dpr, Orn or Lys](B)—R³(Y)—NR⁴R⁵; or R¹(X)-D-[Dpr, Orn or Lys](A)-R²(Z)-D-[Dpr, Orn or Lys](B)—R³(Y)—NR⁴R⁵, in which X is a hard acid cation chelator, a soft acid cation chelator or Ac—, R¹, R² and R³ are independently selected from a covalent bond or one or more D-amino acids that can be the same or different, Y is a hard acid cation chelator, a soft acid cation chelator or absent, Z is a hard acid cation chelator, a soft acid cation chelator or absent, and A and B are haptens or hard acid cation chelators and can be the same or different, and R⁴ and R⁵ are independently selected from the group consisting of hard acid cation chelators, soft acid cation chelators, enzymes, therapeutic agents, diagnostic agents and H. The present invention also provides methods of using these compounds and kits containing the compounds.

The invention relates to highly fluorescent metal oxide nanoparticles to which biomolecules and other compounds can be chemically linked to form biocompatible, stable optical imaging agents for in vitro and in vivo applications. The fluorescent metal oxide nanoparticles may also be used for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), thus providing a multi modality imaging agent.

In one embodiment the present invention discloses a nanocluster or a nanorose composition comprising two or more closely spaced nanoparticles each comprising one or more metals, metal oxides, inorganic substances, or a combination thereof and one or more stabilizers. The stabilizers are in contact with the two or more closely spaced nanoparticles to form a nanocluster composition in which the inorganic weight percentage is greater than 50% and the average size is below 300 nm, and the nanocluster composition has magnetic properties, optical properties or a combination of both.

This invention provides targeted nanoclusters comprising multiple polyvalent nanoparticle core units or nanoscaffolds, each nanoparticle core unit attached to multiple targeting moieties and multiple detectable moieties. The nanoclusters find use in a broad range of analytical assays, diagnostic assays and as targeted therapeutics.

The present invention provides binding moieties for fibrin which have a variety of uses wherever detecting, isolating or localizing fibrin, and particularly fibrin as opposed to fibrinogen, is advantageous. Particularly disclosed are synthetic, isolated polypeptides capable of binding fibrin and recognizing the form of polymerized fibrin found in thrombi. In addition, the polypeptides have a slow dissociation rate from fibrin, which improves their ability to form a contrast image at the site of a fibrin clot, making the disclosed binding moieties particularly useful as imaging agents for thrombi.

Compositions and methods for dual imaging and for dual chemotherapy and radiotherapy are disclosed. More particularly, the invention concerns compounds comprising the structure X₁-Y-X₂, wherein Y comprises two or more carbohydrate residues covalently attached to one another, X₁ and X₂ are diagnostic or therapeutic moieties covalently attached to Y, provided that when Y does not comprise a glucosamine residue, X₁ and X₂ are diagnostic moieties. The present invention also concerns methods of synthesis of these compounds, application of such compounds for dual imaging and treatment of hyperproliferative disease, and kits for preparing a radiolabeled therapeutic or diagnostic compound.

A method of delivering a contrast enhancing fluid to a patient using an injector system, includes determining at least one patient transfer function for the patient based upon data specific to the patient, the at least one patient transfer function providing a time enhancement output for a given input; determining a desired time enhancement output; using the at least one patient transfer function to determine an injection procedure input; and controlling the injector system at least in part on the basis of the determined injection procedure input. The injection procedure input can be determined considering at least one operational limitation or constraint of the injector system. A method of modeling propagation of a pharmaceutical fluid in a patient, includes: collecting data corresponding to a time response curve resulting from injection of the fluid; and determining at least one mathematical model describing the data. The mathematical model can, for example, be a model which is not determined by a continuous or a discrete-time Fourier deconvolution of the data. Further, the injection of fluid by the injector can be controlled at least in part on the basis of the mathematical model.