The present invention relates to an immune checkpoint inhibitor conjugated with an sonosensitizer, a use thereof, and the like. The immune checkpoint inhibitor conjugate conjugated with an sonosensitizer according to the present invention has selectivity for tumors with respect to targeted therapy and specifically responds to ultrasonic waves, and thus can be used to produce drugs for diagnosing and treating cancer. Particularly, the conjugate of the present invention exhibits excellent solubility and stability in an aqueous solution, and provides excellent anticancer effects as compared with simple immune checkpoint inhibitors, and therefore, is expected to be useful as a novel drug for treating cancer.

An antibody specifically binding to PD-1 and a functional fragment thereof. The antibody or functional fragment thereof includes a PD-1 chimeric antibody and a functional fragment thereof, and a PD-1 humanized antibody and a functional fragment thereof.

Shielding enzymes are made by modifying the enzyme surface with silica precursors and then depositing silica to a desired thickness while retaining biological activity of the enzyme.

Shielding enzymes are made by modifying the enzyme surface with silica precursors and then depositing silica to a desired thickness while retaining biological activity of the enzyme.

An acoustically activatable particle of material includes a first substance that includes a component that is a gas 25 C. and atmospheric pressure. A second substance, different from the first substance, encapsulates the first substance to create a droplet or emulsion that is stable at room temperature and atmospheric pressure. At least some of the first substance exists in a gaseous phase at the time of encapsulation of the first substance within the second substance to form a bubble. After formation of the bubble, the bubble is condensed into a liquid phase, which causes the bubble to transform into the droplet or emulsion having a core consisting of a liquid. The droplet or emulsion is an activatable phase change agent having a core consisting of a liquid at 25 C. and atmospheric pressure. The first substance has a boiling point below 25 C. at atmospheric pressure.

Gas vesicles, protein variants and related compositions methods and systems for singleplexed and/or multiplexed ultrasound imaging of a target site in which a gas vesicle provides contrast for the imaging which is modifiable by application of a selectable acoustic collapse pressure value of the gas vesicle.

Processes of intraoperative diagnosis and elimination of tumors or micro-tumors or cancer cells or tumor micro-environment (TME) with plasmonic nanobubbles (PNBs) are disclosed. The diagnosis and surgical processes disclosed can improve standard onco-surgery through one or more of the following: real-time intraoperative local detection of MRD in vivo with high cancer sensitivity and specificity; real-time guidance of surgery to precisely eliminate resectable MRD with minimal morbidity by resecting only PNB-positive volume instead of a larger volume; intraoperative selective elimination of unresectable MRD through the mechanical impact of lethal cancer cell-specific PNBs without damaging adjacent normal cells and tissues; and prediction of the surgical outcome through the metrics of PNB signals.

Acoustically responsive stabilized microbubbles formulated with a phospholipid monolayer shell, an encapsulated bioactive gas, and an encapsulated perfluorocarbon gas of the formula C.sub.xF.sub.y in a volume ratio of from about 10:1 to about 1:10, wherein X is greater than or equal to 3, are disclosed. Also provided are methods for promoting localized vasodilation in a patient in need thereof by delivering a microbubble comprising a phospholipid monolayer shell and an encapsulated bioactive gas locally to a target diseased section of the patient's vasculature; and releasing the bioactive gas at the target diseased section, wherein the microbubble comprises the bioactive gas in a ratio of from about 10:1 to about 1:10 by volume with a perfluorocarbon gas.

The present technology provides compositions and nanoemulsions useful in optoacoustic imaging. A composition of the present technology includes at least one contrast agent covalently linked to a targeting agent; where the at least one contrast agent includes a dark quencher; the targeting agent includes an antibody, an antigen, an antigen-targeting ligand, a receptor ligand, or an adhesion peptide; and the at least one contrast agent and targeting agent are covalently linked by a linker of formula (I) X.sup.1-L.sup.1-X.sup.2 (I) where X1 is an amino, amide, S, or O of the at least one contrast agent; L.sup.1 is C.sub.1-C.sub.12 alkylene, C.sub.2-C.sub.12 alkenylene, C.sub.5-C.sub.12 cycloalkylene, or C.sub.6-C.sub.12 arylene; and X.sup.2 is an amino, amide, S, or O of the targeting agent.

The invention provides a multimodal ultrasound and photoacoustic contrast agent based on polymeric microparticles having a gas core and carrying at least one photoacoustic agent in its shell that stabilizes the gas core, for use in ultrasound and photoacoustic imaging. Such multimodal ultrasound and photoacoustic contrast agent is also suitable as a carrier of drugs and for use in photodynamic therapy, and for tissue imaging ex vivo.