The present invention relates generally to methods and materials for use in photothermal or sonodynamic therapy. The invention novel nanoparticles for use in delivering sensitizers to solid tumour target, wherein the nanoparticles are composed of a polymers or co-polymer of monomers linked by peptide bonds, wherein the polymer or co-polymer comprises one or both of glutamate or derivatised glutatamic acid, and optionally a further, different, monomer which is a naturally occurring amino acid or synthetic monomer having a side chain group, wherein the polymer or co-polymer is not composed only of glutamate. The pendant groups and/or side chains of the polymer or co-polymer interact non-covalently with the sensitizer.

The present invention relates to a sensitizer-peptide conjugate for use in the treatment of cancer. In particular, the present invention relates to a sensitizer-peptide conjugate for use in the treatment of melanoma. The use of such sensitizer-peptide conjugate in photodynamic therapy or sonodynamic therapy is also disclosed. According to the present invention, there is provided a sensitizer-peptide conjugate for use in the treatment of cancer; wherein the sensitizer-peptide conjugate comprises at least one sensitizer and at least one peptide.

A method for ablating cancerous tissue in a subject, the method comprising incorporating a sound excitable compound into said cancerous tissue followed by exposure of said cancerous tissue to low-intensity ultrasound having an intensity of no more than 5 W/cm.sup.2, said sound excitable compound having the structure Formula (1) wherein: X.sup.1, X.sup.2, X.sup.3, and X.sup.4 are each independently selected from iodine and bromine atoms; X.sup.5, X.sup.6, X.sup.7, and X.sup.8 are each independently selected from hydrogen atom, chlorine, bromine, and iodine atoms; Y.sup.1 is an —O—, —NR′—, or —CR′.sub.2— linker, wherein R′ is independently selected from hydrogen atom and methyl; Z is a hydrocarbon linking group containing 1-12 carbon atoms; R.sup.1 is selected from hydrogen atom, methyl, —OH, and —OR groups, wherein R is an alkyl group containing one to three carbon atoms; and wherein said Formula (1) includes pharmaceutically acceptable salts and solvates of the compounds embraced by Formula (1).

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Systems and methods for treating cancer and for preventing metastasis using low intensity focused ultrasound in combination with an anti-cancer therapy are disclosed.

The present inventions provides drug-drug conjugates, drug-porphyrin conjugates, nanoparticles of the conjugates, as well as modified nanoparticles having PEGylated exteriors or encapsulated by red blood cell vesicles. The conjugates, nanoparticles and nanocarriers are useful for treating cancers and other diseases, as well as for imaging diseased tissue or organs.

Certain embodiments are directed to photo-activated compounds for the manipulation of pH in a cell. In certain aspects the photo-activated compound is 2-nitrobenzaldehyde (NBA). Photo-activated compounds can be used as a targeted therapy for a variety of disease states and conditions, such as cancer.

The invention provides compositions featuring TRP-4 polypeptides and polynucleotides, methods for expressing such polypeptides and polynucleotides in a cell type of interest, and methods for inducing the activation of the TRP-4 polypeptide in neurons and other cell types using ultrasound.

The invention provides microbubbles and/or nanodroplets labeled with diagnostic and/or therapeutic ligands that are useful in the detection and treatment of Alzheimer's disease, or related diseases and conditions, as well as methods of preparation and use thereof.

Phase change nanodroplet conjugates and methods of making and using thereof are provided. The phase change nanodroplet conjugates include a nanodroplet having a gaseous precursor on the interior and an outer shell such as a lipid monolayer, a lipid bilayer, or a polymer layer. The phase change nanodroplet conjugates can have one or more nanoparticles attached to the outer layer, e.g. via a linker. The nanoparticles can include therapeutic, prophylactic, or diagnostic nanoparticles. The phase change nanodroplet conjugates can be used for the targeted delivery of a therapeutic, prophylactic, or diagnostic nanoparticle to a target region in a subject in need thereof. The methods can include applying an effective amount of ultrasound radiation to the target region to stimulate vaporization of the gaseous precursor followed by cavitation of the resultant bubble conjugate and release or dispersing of drug or drugs inside the liposomes. Methods of making phase change nanodroplet conjugates are also provided.

Methods of treating tumors by administering compounds to a patient are provided. Compounds such as drugs, may be administered to the patient orally, by injection, intravenously, or topically, which then accumulate preferentially as compounds such as protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) in tumor cells. After such accumulation, compounds such as PpIX are then activated in various aspects to treat tumors cells, thereby treating cancer. Cancers such as glioblastoma may be treated.