A synthetic calcium phosphate-based biomedical material comprising gadolinium. The material may comprises a compound having the general chemical formula: Ca.sub.10−yGd.sub.y(PO.sub.4).sub.6−x(SiO.sub.4)x(OH).sub.2−x+y where 0<x<1.3 and 0<y<1.3.

A method of bioactive molecule delivery includes providing a first aqueous medium comprising native graphene oxide and a second aqueous medium comprising a bioactive molecular component that includes Gd(III)-labeled molecules; mixing said first and second media to form a mixture thereof; co-incubating the mixture for a first period of time for coupling said molecular component on a surface of said native graphene oxide, to provide a co-incubation product; and contacting a cellular medium with said co-incubation product for a second period of time for cellular delivery of said bioactive molecular component.

A method of bioactive molecule delivery includes providing a first aqueous medium comprising native graphene oxide and a second aqueous medium comprising a bioactive molecular component that includes Gd(III)-labeled molecules; mixing said first and second media to form a mixture thereof; co-incubating the mixture for a first period of time for coupling said molecular component on a surface of said native graphene oxide, to provide a co-incubation product; and contacting a cellular medium with said co-incubation product for a second period of time for cellular delivery of said bioactive molecular component.

An agent for use in detecting, monitoring, and/or imaging cancer cells and/or cancer cell metastasis, migration, dispersal, and/or invasion, and/or for treating cancer in a subject includes a targeting peptide and at least one of a detectable moiety, therapeutic agent, or a theranostic agent that is directly or indirectly linked to the targeting peptide. The targeting peptide specifically binds to and/or complexes with a proteolytically cleaved extracellular fragment of an immunoglobulin (Ig) superfamily cell adhesion molecule that is expressed by a cancer cell or another cell in the cancer cell microenvironment.

The present invention relates to a MRI contrast agent for a liver cancer-specific imaging diagnosis including manganese silicate which releases manganese ion (Mn.sup.2+) under acidic conditions, and a method of characterizing liver tissue using the MRI contrast agent. In a relatively short time, T1-weighted images show different patterns depending on the tissue-specificity such as vascularity, cell density, mitochondrial activity, hepatocellular affinity and the like in normal liver tissues and lesion liver tissues (especially hepatic tumors), and thus, the disease-specific characteristics of liver cancers can be analyzed at appropriate times by analyzing the T1-weighted images. It is expected to be very useful for differentiating the liver cancer types or evaluating the therapeutic effect. Furthermore, it is expected to be useful for diagnosing the diseases occurring in organs other than liver based on the tissue-specificity.

The present invention relates to a MRI contrast agent for a liver cancer-specific imaging diagnosis including manganese silicate which releases manganese ion (Mn.sup.2+) under acidic conditions, and a method of characterizing liver tissue using the MRI contrast agent. In a relatively short time, T1-weighted images show different patterns depending on the tissue-specificity such as vascularity, cell density, mitochondrial activity, hepatocellular affinity and the like in normal liver tissues and lesion liver tissues (especially hepatic tumors), and thus, the disease-specific characteristics of liver cancers can be analyzed at appropriate times by analyzing the T1-weighted images. It is expected to be very useful for differentiating the liver cancer types or evaluating the therapeutic effect. Furthermore, it is expected to be useful for diagnosing the diseases occurring in organs other than liver based on the tissue-specificity.

Methods and compositions for detecting tau pathology are described. The compositions for detecting tau pathology comprise a targeting ligand that specifically binds to a cell surface marker of tau pathology, wherein the targeting ligand is linked to a liposome that includes an imaging agent. The compositions can be used in a method for imaging tau pathology in a subject that comprises administering to the subject an effective amount of the composition to a subject and imaging at least a portion of the subject to determine if that portion of the subject exhibits tau pathology. The compositions can also be used to detect tau pathology in biological samples obtained from a subject.

A conjugate comprising FL-L-IA, wherein FL is a radical of a small molecule ligand that specifically binds with fibroblast activation protein (FAP), L is a linker, which binds an FL to IA, and IA is a radical of a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) agent, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof; a composition comprising same; and a method of using the conjugate or composition to image cells, a tissue, or an organ that express(es) FAP with magnetic resonance imaging.

The invention relates to a method for synthesizing ultrasmall silica nanoparticles, useful in particular for diagnostics and/or therapy. More specifically, a method for synthesizing silica nanoparticles, said method comprising the mixing of at least one silane which is negatively charged at physiological pH with at least one silane which is neutral at physiological pH, and/or at least one silane which is positively charged at physiological pH, wherein: the molar ratio A of neutral silane(s) to negatively charged silane(s) is defined as follows: 0A6, the molar ratio B of positively charged silane(s) to negatively charged silane(s) is defined as follows: 0B5, the molar ratio C of neutral and positively charged silanes to negatively charged silane(s) is defined as follows: 0<C8. The invention also relates to the obtained ultrasmall silica nanoparticles.

The invention relates to a method for synthesizing ultrasmall silica nanoparticles, useful in particular for diagnostics and/or therapy. More specifically, a method for synthesizing silica nanoparticles, said method comprising the mixing of at least one silane which is negatively charged at physiological pH with at least one silane which is neutral at physiological pH, and/or at least one silane which is positively charged at physiological pH, wherein: the molar ratio A of neutral silane(s) to negatively charged silane(s) is defined as follows: 0A6, the molar ratio B of positively charged silane(s) to negatively charged silane(s) is defined as follows: 0B5, the molar ratio C of neutral and positively charged silanes to negatively charged silane(s) is defined as follows: 0<C8. The invention also relates to the obtained ultrasmall silica nanoparticles.