This invention relates to the detection of the diseases by using Chemical Exchange Saturation Transfer (CEST)Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). Previously, there was no way to use CEST MRI to early detect and map the agents bind to amyloid beta protein, tau protein, alpha-synuclein protein in neurodegenerative diseases, and inflammation in many diseases such as neurodegenerative diseases. The exogenous agents can be used to produce MRI contrast, such as agents contain exchangeable protons such as hydroxyl, amine, and amide protons, and thereby provide imaging and mapping for detection of the amyloid beta protein, tau protein, alpha-synuclein protein, and aggregation proteins in neurodegenerative diseases and inflammation in many diseases such as neurodegenerative diseases, and other inflammatory diseases.

A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system is provided for imaging immune response of soft tissue to therapy by, prior to therapy, administering a contrast agent to the soft tissue; imaging a region of interest using delta relaxation enhanced magnetic resonance (DREMR) to define a functional section; selectively sampling local cells in the functional section; conducting immuno-assay analysis on the sampled local cells; and following therapy, further imaging said region of interest using DREMR to assess immune response of said cells to therapy.

The present invention relates to an isolated cellular targeted delivery system comprising a CD45+ leukocyte cell comprising within said cell a complex of one or more iron binding proteins and an active pharmaceutically active substance and/or label as well as methods for producing such isolated cellular targeted delivery system and uses of such system for prophylaxis, therapy, diagnosis or theragnosis, in particular for prophylactic or therapeutic vaccination, therapy of cancer, particularly metastatic cancer or inflammatory diseases.

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.

Novel compounds carrying ligands capable of binding to counter receptors on relevant target cells are disclosed. The compounds possess a number of advantageous features, rendering them very suitable for a wide range of applications, including use as detection systems, detection of relevant target cells as well as a number of other methods. In particular, novel MHC complexes comprising one or more MHC molecules are disclosed. The affinity and specificity of the MHC-peptide complexes are surprisingly high. The possibility of presenting to the target cells a plurality of MHC-peptide complexes makes the MHC complexes according to the present invention an extremely powerful tool e.g. in the field of therapy and diagnosis. The invention generally relates to the field of therapy, including therapeutic methods and therapeutic compositions. Also comprised by the present invention is the sample-mounted use of MHC complexes and MHC multimers.

The invention relates to probiotic bacteria selected from lactic acid bacteria, such as Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria, having metals and/or metal nanoparticles and to foodstuff and pharmaceutical composition having these bacteria. The invention also provides methods for obtaining these bacteria and uses of these bacteria for the treatment and prevention of mineral deficiency pathologies, as a contrast agent for the imaging of the digestive tract and for the treatment of cancer.

The application describes a T-cell expressing a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR T-cell) containing superparamagnetic iron-based particles (loaded CAR T-cell) for use in treating a tumor. Said loaded CAR T-cell exhibits a reduced cytokine release upon binding to a cell of the tumor expressing an antigen being recognized by the CAR of the CAR T-cell, compared to a CAR T-cell not containing superparamagnetic iron-based particles (unloaded CAR T-cell) under the same conditions. Furthermore, an in vitro method of generating a CAR T-cell containing superparamagnetic iron-based particles is described, whereby such loaded CAR T-cells are generated.

An imaging nanoparticle comprising a plant virus particle having an interior surface and an exterior surface, an imaging agent that is linked to the interior and/or exterior surface, and a layer of biocompatible mineral such as silica coated over the exterior surface, is described. The imaging nanoparticle can be used in method of generating an image of a tissue region of a subject, by administering to the subject a diagnostically effective amount of an imaging nanoparticle and generating an image of the tissue region of the subject to which the imaging nanoparticle has been distributed.

A rod-shaped plant virus having an interior surface and an exterior surface, and at least one imaging agent that is linked to the interior and/or exterior surface is described. The rod-shaped viruses can be combined into larger spherical nanoparticles. A rod-shaped plant virus or spherical nanoparticles including an imaging agent can be used in a method of generating an image of a tissue region of a subject such as a tumor or atherosclerotic tissue by administering the virus particle to the subject and generating an image of the tissue region of the subject to which the virus particle has been distributed.