Gas-filled microvesicles comprising an antigen bound thereto and to aqueous suspensions containing said microvesicles, for use in immunomodulating formulations, in particular as a vaccine. The antigen is covalently bound to a component of the microvesicles envelope. The microvesicles of the invention, comprising a molar excess of fatty acids in the stabilizing envelope, are particularly effective in the uptake by antigen-presenting cells, in particular dendritic cells.

Polynucleotides encoding peptides, proteins, enzymes, and functional fragments thereof are disclosed. The polynucleotides of the disclosure can be effectively delivered to an organ, such as the lung, and expressed within cells of the organ. The polyribonucleotides of the disclosure can be used to treat a disease or condition associated with cilia maintenance and function, impaired function of the axoneme, such as DNAI1 or DNAH5.

Functionalized single walled or multi-walled carbon nanotubes (f-CNTs) can be delivered into mammals to targeted organs, such as the kidney and the liver. These f-CNTs may be non-covalently linked or covalently linked to therapeutic agents. In particular, the application delivers carbon nanotube-therapeutic agent conjugates to a target organ, thereby preventing or reducing damages to the organ caused by other agents or procedure.

Compositions or an assembly of a series of biomimetic compounds include chemical structures that mimic or structurally resemble a nucleic acid base pair. Complexes of nanotubes and agents are useful to deliver agents into the cells or bodily tissues of individuals for therapeutic and diagnostic purposes. Exemplary compounds include those of Formula (I), (III), (V) or (VII), or of Formula (II), (IV), (VI) or (VIII).

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The invention relates to a microbubble-chemotherapeutic agent complex comprising a microbubble carrying a combination of chemotherapeutic agents for use in a method of treating cancer in a patient, wherein said combination of chemotherapeutic agents comprises: (a) a 5-fluoropyrimidine or a derivative thereof; (b) irinotecan or a derivative thereof; and (c) a platinum-based chemotherapeutic agent or a derivative thereof; and wherein said method comprises simultaneous, separate or sequential administration of folinic acid or a derivative thereof. The invention is particularly suitable for use in the treatment of deep-sited tumours and associated metastatic disease, for example in the treatment of pancreatic cancer. The invention further relates to the microbubble- chemotherapeutic agent complexes themselves, to methods for their preparation and to pharmaceutical compositions which contain them, optionally in combination with folinic acid or a folinic acid derivative.

The invention relates to methods of sonodynamic therapy comprising the co-administration of a microbubble-chemotherapeutic agent complex together with a microbubble-sonosensitiser complex. It further relates to pharmaceutical compositions comprising these complexes and their use in methods of sonodynamic therapy and/or sonodynamic diagnosis. Such methods find particular use in the treatment of cancer, e.g. pancreatic cancer.

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.

Silica-based biomolecule carriers, compositions comprising the same and preparation methods and uses thereof for delivering biomolecules into a cell are provided. The silica-based biomolecule carrier comprises a porous core; a first bioactive moiety; a second bioactive moiety functionally associated with the first bioactive moiety; and linkers for respectively conjugating the first bioactive moiety and the second bioactive moiety to the porous core.

Described herein are self-assembling protein molecules for delivering a payload, for example, a toxic anti-cancer agent, a cancer immunotherapy, a toxic anti-cancer agent and a cancer immunotherapy, or an imaging agent, to specific tissues. Examples of self-assembled proteins include clathrin and derivatives of clathrin.

Disclosed are nanostructures comprising a ribonucleic acid (RNA) scaffold comprising a hexameric tetrahedral core. The tetrahedral core may comprise four hexameric RNA nanorings linked together. Related pharmaceutical compositions, methods of modulating the expression of a target gene in a mammal, methods of treating or preventing a disease in a mammal, and methods of producing a hexameric tetrahedral RNA nanostructure are also disclosed.