Biocompatible polymeric nanoparticles may include: a biocompatible polymer and/or functional metal nanostructures. The biocompatible polymer may be a polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA). The functional metal nanostructures may include at least one noble metal, at least one magnetic metal oxide, or mixtures thereof. The biocompatible polymeric nanoparticles may have an average size less than or equal to 200 nanometers (nm).

A method of purifying a plurality of metal oxide particles produced from a synthesis process is disclosed. The method comprises the step of washing a plurality of metal oxide particles in a first solvent composition comprising of at least one aliphatic ether, and at least one flocculant. In one embodiment, the plurality of metal oxide particles are iron oxide particles produced from a thermal decomposition synthesis process between an iron-oleate complex and oleic acid in 1-octadecene, wherein the first solvent composition comprises a 1:1 (vol/vol) ratio of an aliphatic ether in the form of diethyl ether and a flocculant in the form of methanol. The washed iron oxide particles are further washed in a second solvent composition comprising a 1:1 (vol/vol) ratio of hexane and ethanol, and then finally dispersed in hexane. The resulting iron oxide particles find use as a contrast agent for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or as magnetic particles in magnetic separation, magnetism-directed targeting or magnetism-induced heating.

A method and apparatus generate electrical currents and/or voltage in tissue using particles composed of liquid crystals and magnetic particles.

A biocompatible curable composition and a method of detecting a border of a tumor, a tissue of interest, or both including injecting the biocompatible curable composition and contacting the border of a tumor or a tissue, the biocompatible curable composition crosslinks to form a three-dimensional cured nanocomposite, and imaging the three-dimensional (3D) cured nanocomposite, and imaging the 3D cured nanocomposite by at least one of MRI, CT, ultrasound, and X-ray, to detect the border of the tumor or the tissue of interest or track tumor motion during radiotherapy treatment. The biocompatible curable composition comprising an organic polymer having a hydrolysable functional group, a metallic nanoparticle, and a polar or a non-polar solvent. A brachytherapy strand consisting of a biocompatible curable composition and a radio-isotope seed. The biocompatible curable composition is shaped into an elongated cylinder and forms a 3D cured nanocomposite with a radio-isotope seed embedded.

The present invention relates to compositions and methods using protein reporters as imaging agents in .sup.129Xe NMR and MRI applications. It is described that bla and MBP are genetically-encoded proteins that induce a detectable chemical shift during .sup.129Xe NMR, allowing for use as protein reporters in research and clinical applications.

The present invention relates to magnetic contrast structures for magnetic resonance imaging, and methods of their use. The contrast structures include magnetic materials arranged as a pair of disk-shaped magnetic components with a space between a circular surface of each disk shape, or a tubular magnetic structure, a substantially cylindrical magnetic structure, a substantially spherical shell-formed magnetic structure, or a substantially ellipsoidal shell-formed structure, each defining a hollow region therein. The space and/or hollow region in the contrast structure creates a spatially extended region contained within a near-field region of the contrast structure over which an applied magnetic field results in a homogeneous field, such that nuclear magnetic moments of a second material when arranged within the spatially extended region precess at a characteristic Larmor frequency, whereby the contrast structure is adapted to emit a characteristic magnetic resonance signal of the magnetic material.

The present invention relates to magnetic contrast structures for magnetic resonance imaging, and methods of their use. The contrast structures include magnetic materials arranged as a pair of disk-shaped magnetic components with a space between a circular surface of each disk shape, or a tubular magnetic structure, a substantially cylindrical magnetic structure, a substantially spherical shell-formed magnetic structure, or a substantially ellipsoidal shell-formed structure, each defining a hollow region therein. The space and/or hollow region in the contrast structure creates a spatially extended region contained within a near-field region of the contrast structure over which an applied magnetic field results in a homogeneous field, such that nuclear magnetic moments of a second material when arranged within the spatially extended region precess at a characteristic Larmor frequency, whereby the contrast structure is adapted to emit a characteristic magnetic resonance signal of the magnetic material.

Disclosed are a targeting aptamer for atherosclerosis and a preparation method and application thereof. The targeting aptamer is a targeting aptamer fragment for atherosclerosis obtained through screening of macrophage-derived foam cells together with reverse screening of smooth muscle cells, endothelial cells, and THP-1 cells using a SELEX method; and the use of the targeting aptamer in preparation of an MRI targeting nano-contrast agent for atherosclerosis allows the specific binding of the MRI targeting nano-contrast agent for atherosclerosis only with the macrophage-derived foam cells, and allows high specific binding thereof with vascular tissues with AS lesion, this improving targeting effect of the MRI targeting nano-contrast agent for atherosclerosis and realizing early specific diagnosis of arterial sclerosis.

Compounds containing TRPV6-binding peptides and their use in the detection and diagnosis of cancer are described. Also described are methods for detecting and staging cancer that use the compounds of the invention. Compounds containing TRPV6-binding peptides are useful for the delivery of diagnostic and therapeutic agents to cells or tumors that express TRPV6.

Described herein are compositions and methods for cancer cell biomarkers, such as pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) cell biomarkers, and binding molecules for diagnosis and treatment of cancer, e.g., PDAC. Methods of identifying accessible proteomes are disclosed for identifying cancer biomarkers, such as plectin-1, a PDAC biomarker. Additionally, imaging compositions are provided comprising magnetofluorescent nanoparticies conjugated to peptide ligands for identifying PDACs.