Disclosed herein are compositions comprising extracellular vesicles, such as exosomes, displaying an RNA nanoparticle on its surface. The RNA nanoparticle can target the extracellular vesicle to a given cell via a targeting moiety. The extracellular vesicle can also comprise a functional moiety, which can be used in treatment or diagnostics.

The presently disclosed subject matter provides compositions, methods, and kits comprising shape memory particles that can be used for delivering a drug and/or treating a disease or disorder in a patient. Specifically, shape changes in the presently disclosed shape memory particles can be used to control drug delivery spatially and/or temporally in a patient. Also provided are compositions, methods, and kits comprising nanoparticles and hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) inhibitors with or without chemotherapeutic agents for inhibiting HIF activity in a patient and/or treating a hypoxia-associated disease or disorder.

Provided is a theranostic bubble preparation which makes it possible to diagnose and treat a tissue of interest by the irradiation with ultrasound such as diagnostic ultrasound and low-intensity therapeutic ultrasound. The theranostic bubble preparation comprises: a coating film comprising a lipid; and a gas enclosed in an inner cavity formed in the coating film. The coating film comprises an anionic lipid made from distearoylphosphatidylcholine (DSPC), distearoylphosphatidylglycerol (DSPG) and 1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine-N-[methoxy(polyethylene glycol)-2000] (DSPE-PEG.sub.2000). The gas and the mixed gas comprises perfluoropropane or perfluorobutane.

Methods and compositions for treating a patient for a condition characterized by an excess blood concentration of dissolved gas in at least one targeted region of the patient are provided. The method comprises administering a composition comprising a perfluorocarbon droplet emulsion into the blood of the patient; insonifying the at least one target region sufficient to achieve formation of microbubbles by droplet vaporization of at least a portion of the perfluorocarbon droplets present in the blood; whereby a concentration gradient favoring movement of gas molecules from the blood into the microbubbles is established for a time frame.

There is disclosed a composition in the form of a nanoparticle. The nanoparticle composition has a diameter from 5 to 500 nanometers. The nanoparticle composition has i) a central core portion including magnetic Fe.sub.3O.sub.4 nanoparticles adapted to act as a heat source when subjected to a magnetic field and a chemotherapeutic agent configured to treat cancer tissues, ii)a shell portion including a shell member encapsulating said core portion, and iii)antibodies configured to target cancer stem cells and adhered to surface of said shell member. The chemotherapeutic agent is a heat shock protein inhibitor and is releasable on activation of the heat source due to the magnetic field, and the shell member is made of silica or a silica based material. Surface of the nanoparticle is modified with the antibodies capable of binding with a cluster of differentiation molecules on the cell surface of the target cancer stem cells, whereby by way of combination of specificity of the nanoparticle composition due to the antibody, thermo-therapeutic effect of the Fe.sub.3O.sub.4 nanoparticles, and release of the heat shock protein inhibitor on site at the target cancer stem cells, inhibition of the target cancer stem cells is synergistically and additionally enhanced is increased.

The theranostic biocompatible microcapsules provided are efficient contrast enhanced imaging agents that combine Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) with ultrasound-triggered drug release for real-time tracking and targeted delivery in vivo. The capsules are assembled via layer-by-layer deposition of the natural polyphenol tannic acid and poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone) with iron oxide nanoparticles incorporated in the capsule wall. The nanoparticle-modified capsules exhibit enhanced T.sub.1 and T.sub.2 MRI contrast in a clinical MRI scanner. Loaded with the an anticancer drug such as doxorubicin the capsules circulate in the blood stream for at least 48 hours, an improvement compared to non-encapsulated nanoparticles. High-intensity focused ultrasound results in targeted drug release with a 16-fold increase in the pharmacologically active agent localization in tumors compared to off-target organs. Owing to the active contrast, long circulation, customizable size, shape, composition, and precise delivery of high payload concentrations, these materials present an improved platform for imaging-guided precision drug delivery.

The invention provides a composition which includes a shell comprising at least one lipid, wherein said shell defines an enclosed space, a gas disposed within the enclosed space, and a coating of a polyalkylene glycol attached to and extending outwardly from lipid shell, wherein the lipid shell has a diameter from about 30 nanometers to about 5 microns.

Polymeric nanoparticles comprising a defined set of biologically active agents that provide for targeted stimulation of non-responsive T cells, e.g. T cells involved in cancer, are provided.

Metal-bisphosphonate nanoparticles are disclosed. Also disclosed are pharmaceutical compositions including the metal-bisphosphonate nanoparticles, methods of preparing the metal-bisphosphonate nanoparticles and materials comprising the nanoparticles, and methods of using the compositions to treat cancer or bone-related disorders (e.g., bone-resorption-related diseases, osteoporosis, Paget's disease, and bone metastases) and as imaging agents.

Compositions and methods for targeted delivery of active agents to cells are provided. The compositions comprise a wholly or partially double-stranded synthetic DNA carrier, and an active agent intercalated in double-stranded portions of the DNA carrier. The DNA carrier may also be linked to a targeting agent. The compositions are useful for delivering an active agent into a targeted cell type, for example a cytotoxic agent.