The invention relates to recognition molecules directed towards tumors, and it also relates to pharmaceutical compositions comprising said recognition molecules, methods for the production of said recognition molecules, and to the use of said recognition molecules in the diagnosis and therapy of tumor diseases.

The present disclosure relates to an immunologically active peptide-biliverdin conjugate (I), a preparation method therefor and an application thereof in cancer diagnosis, and/or tumor immunotherapy, and/or tumor “photothermal immunotherapy” (tumor photothermal therapy combined with immunotherapy). The conjugate to which the present disclosure relates not only may stimulate an organism to generate a tumor-immune effect, but also may relieve and/or eliminate tumor inflammation, remodel a tumor inflammatory microenvironment and achieve photothermal cancer immunodiagnosis and immunotherapy. The conjugate to which the present disclosure relates has high biocompatibility, good stability and an extended half-life. The conjugate is prepared from an immunologically active peptide and biliverdin by means of chemical synthesis. A peptide end of the conjugate exercises the function of immunoregulation, and a pigment end thereof exercises functions such as tumor imaging diagnosis, tumor photo-thermal ablation, immune inflammatory microenvironment regulation and the like. The conjugate may significantly enhance the antitumor effect and effectively inhibit tumor metastasis and recurrence.

Peptides having activity as protein binding agents are disclosed. The peptides have the following structure (I):

##STR00001##

including stereoisomers, pharmaceutically acceptable salts and prodrugs thereof, wherein R, R.sup.1, L.sup.1, L.sup.2, G, M, Y.sup.1 Y.sup.2 and SEQ are as defined herein. Methods associated with preparation and use of such peptides, as well as pharmaceutical compositions comprising such peptides, are also disclosed.

The present invention provides compounds that have motifs that target the compounds to cells that express integrins. In particular, the compounds have peptides with one or more RD motifs conjugated to an agent selected from an imaging agent and a targeting agent. The compounds may be used to detect, monitor, and treat a variety of disorders mediated by integrins.

The present invention relates to probes for use in the detection, imaging, diagnosis, targeting, treatment, etc. of cancers expressing the gastrin releasing peptide receptor (GRPR). For example, such probes may be molecules conjugated to detectable labels which are preferably moieties suitable for detection by gamma imaging and SPECT or by positron emission tomography (PET) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or fluorescence spectroscopy or optical imaging methods.

Prosthetic compounds are disclosed that are effective for radiolabeling biomolecules with 18F. Representative biomolecules include antibodies (e.g., monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and nanobodies (sdAbs)), antibody fragments, and peptides that may have an affinity for particular types of cells, such as cancer cells. The prosthetic compounds effectively address the art-recognized difficulties associated with the retention of radioactivity within the targeted cells, due to internalization of the biomolecule, followed by proteolytic degradation. Representative prosthetic compounds include (i) a succinimidyloxycarbonyl moiety, (ii) a radioactive moiety bearing 18F, and (iii) a charged moiety, i.e., a moiety that is charged under the physiological conditions of the internal cell environment.

Embodiments of the synthesis, radiolabeling and biological applications of an activatable tracer that undergoes intramolecular cyclization and aggregation upon activation by cleavage of a blocking moiety are provided. The probes of the disclosure allow for target-controlled self-assembly of small molecules in living subjects for imaging and drug delivery. The aggregated nanoprobes of the disclosure may be detectable optically, by PET detection, magnetic resonance imaging, and the like depending on the detectable reporter attached to the nanoprobe.

The invention described herein pertains to drug delivery conjugates for targeted therapy. The invention described herein relates to methods of treating folate receptor-expressing cancers with a folate-tubulysin conjugate. The invention described herein also relates to methods of treating folate-expressing cancers with a folate tubulysin conjugate in patients where stable disease results after treatment with the folate-tubulysin conjugate.

Among the various aspects of the present disclosure is the provision of compositions of imaging agents and methods for use in detecting, monitoring, and evaluating CCR2 associated diseases, disorders, and conditions.

The present invention relates to a somatostatin analogue composition for radiopharmaceutical use, in particular for diagnostic or therapeutic use. More specifically the somatostatin analogue is a receptor-selective somatostatin peptide antagonist.