The present invention provides a composition for diagnosing fungal infection comprising 2-deoxy-2-[.sup.18F]fluorosorbitol ([.sup.18F]FDS) as an effective ingredient. The present invention makes it possible to quickly and effectively diagnose fungal infections and to acquire diagnostic images specialized for invasive fungal infections, which have been difficult to diagnose with conventional microbiological technologies and general imaging technologies,

Disclosed herein is method for conjugating a metal chelating agent to a functionalized dextran by reacting a chelator with an aminated dextran backbone, where the chelator comprises a one, and only one, derivatized carboxylic acid group to form a chelator-dextran complex. In certain aspects, the dextran-chelator complex is substantially free of intra- or intermolecular crosslinking. In certain aspects, the functionalized dextran is an amine dextran, an alkynyl dextran, or a thiol dextran. In exemplary implementations, the functionalized dextran is an amine dextran. In further embodiments, one and only one carboxylic acid group on the chelating agent is derivatized as a N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS) ester.

Disclosed are anti-cancer compounds and imaging agents. More specifically, the disclosed agents target carbonic anhydrase IX and XII and their use in the treatment of cancer, in particular breast cancer. Specific compounds are those that have Formula II wherein R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 are each independently chosen from (CH.sub.2).sub.nC≡CH and, L is a linking moiety; n is 1-8; m is 0-8; each X is independently chosen from R.sub.3, OR.sub.3, NH.sub.2, NHR.sub.3, and; and each R.sub.3 is independently chosen from a detectable moiety or targeting moiety, with the proviso that R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 are not both (CH.sub.2).sub.4C≡CH.

##STR00001##

A method of diagnosing an inflammasome-mediated disorder includes administering a pharmaceutical composition to a subject. The composition includes a carrier molecule having a detectable moiety attached thereto. The carrier molecule includes a non-toxic carbohydrate-based backbone. The method also includes after the administering step, detecting a presence of the detectable moiety at a predetermined location in the subject.

The present disclosure provides nucleic acid binding nanoprobes having one or more fluorochromes and a polymer, where each of the fluorochromes is connected to the polymer, and methods of using the same.

The present invention relates to a compound represented by the formula (1) or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof. In the formula (1), R.sup.1 to R.sup.3 are each independently a predetermined amino group or a predetermined amide group, or a group represented by the formula (2), and at least one of R.sup.1 to R.sup.3 is a group represented by the formula (2).

##STR00001##

The invention relates to the field of RNA stabilisation, and more particularly to the use of deuterium oxide (D.sub.2O) during storage and/or synthesis of RNA molecules. Described herein are deuterium-stabilised ribonucleic acid (RNA) molecules that display an increased resistance to thermal and enzymatic hydrolysis. Also described are aqueous compositions comprising stabilized RNA molecules and methods for making same. The invention is particularly useful for in the manufacture of RNA-based therapeutics, such as mRNA vaccines, to render them less sensitive to temperature fluctuations.

The claimed invention provides a novel system and related method for treatment of bacterial infections in general and offers new solutions for therapeutic resolution of antibiotic resistant bacteria strains. While radioisotope therapy can be used to treat even the most dangerous forms of antimicrobial-resistant bacterial infections with limited side effects, target specificity remains lacking absent Applicant's novel claimed invention. By linking novel aptamers targeting specific bacteria, new therapeutic and diagnostic modalities are enabled. When used according to the claimed system, disclosed radioisotopes, which are very powerful, have multiple energies that are available for both therapeutic and diagnostic use. By utilizing highly specific novel aptamers binding to surface proteins of bacteria together with radioisotopes, the claimed aptamer radioisotope conjugate (701) kills bacterial targets with minimal side effects to healthy tissue without creating the increased risk of antibiotic resistance.

Disclosed are compositions and methods for diagnosing eosinophilic esophagitis in a subject. Also disclosed are methods for monitoring the course of eosinophilic esophagitis in a subject before, during, and after treatment. In another aspect, disclosed is a method of diagnosing eosinophilic esophagitis or eosinophilic diseases in a subject, comprising detecting an eosinophil granule protein in the mucosal tissue of the esophagus or other organs in a subject.

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide compositions and methods for performing positron emission tomography (PET) and, more particularly, to compositions and methods for the development and use of .sup.18F-based PET tracers for use in selected imaging techniques such as studies of myocardial physiology. In particular, as disclosed herein, at tracer levels, [.sup.18F]F—AraG has the ability to be used in a number of new PET methodologies including those designed for cardiac and/or mitochondrial activity imaging. The use of [.sup.18F]F—AraG as a PET tracer offers significant advantages over conventional .sup.18F labeled tracers in a number of distinct applications including observations of selected physiological phenomena such as myocardial perfusion, myocardial viability, and heart inflammation. Methods of the invention include those designed to use [.sup.18F]F—AraG to observe patient physiological responses to various therapeutic agents, as well as using [.sup.18F]F—AraG as a PET tracer in drug development studies.