A compound having a high tumor accumulation rate, or a salt thereof, and a contrast agent for optical imaging are provided. A compound having at least one specific organic dye covalently bound to polyethylene glycol, or a salt thereof is provided.

The present invention provides a water-soluble fluorescent compound of resveratrone 6-O-β-glucoside [(E)-4-(8-hydroxy-6-(((2S,3R,4S,5S,6R)-3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)tetrahydro-2H-pyran-2-yl)oxy)naphthalen-2-yl)but-3-en-2-one] and its derivatives of Formula I which have at least one water-soluble substituent, and a method for preparing the same by a photochemical reaction of resveratrol 3-O-β-glucoside and its derivatives of having Formula 3 which are not fluorescent. Said new water-soluble fluorescent compounds has single-photon absorptive characteristics and/or two-photon absorptive characteristics as well as no or little toxicity, and can be usefully utilized in fields that requires water-soluble fluorescent characteristics (diagnosis, fluorescent probe, in vivo imaging, display, etc.).

A method for measuring a glomerular filtration rate in a mammalian kidney comprises a source of reporter and marker fluorescent molecules. The fluorescent molecules are introduced into the blood stream of a mammalian subject. Over a period of time, a measurement of the intensities of the reporter and marker fluorescent molecules is taken. A ratio is calculated to determine the health of the subject's kidney. This method measures volume of plasma distribution based on a fluorescence of a marker molecule relative to a fluorescence of a reporter molecule.

Disclosed are conjugated polymer nanoparticles and a method of producing the same. The conjugated polymer nanoparticles include a conjugated polymer, fatty acid and an amphiphile polymer. The conjugated polymer nanoparticles can be doped even under a neutral environment, thus exhibiting high electrical conductivity and exerting absorbance properties in the near-infrared band even under a neutral environment such as in vivo.

In this invention, polyimidazole ligands (PILs) incorporating pendant imidazole moieties for nanocrystal binding and either sulfonatebetaine, carboxybetaine, or phosphocholinebetaine moieties for water-solubilization have been developed. Greatly enhanced stability of nanocrystals (both over time and in wide pH range) was achieved by incorporating multi-dentate imidazole moieties which provide strong coordination of the ligand to the nanocrystal surface and prevent aggregation of nanocrystals. Synthesis of betaine PILs was developed by modifying the synthesis of recently developed PEG containing poly imidazole ligands (PEG PILs). These nanocrystals are compact, water soluble, and biocompatible.

The invention provides a multimodal ultrasound and photoacoustic contrast agent based on polymeric microparticles having a gas core and carrying at least one photoacoustic agent in its shell that stabilizes the gas core, for use in ultrasound and photoacoustic imaging. Such multimodal ultrasound and photoacoustic contrast agent is also suitable as a carrier of drugs and for use in photodynamic therapy, and for tissue imaging ex vivo.

Methods for functionalizing the surface of nanofiber substrates, including electrospun fibres and non-woven or woven mats of fibres are described. Functionalised nanofiber substrates presenting biologically active moieties such as biotin and saccharides are described.

The present invention relates generally to novel rhodamine dyes which upon conjugation with another molecule form single isomeric conjugation products. These novel rhodamine dyes contain only one single functional group on the rhodomine molecule for conjugation so that their conjugation products are single isomeric conjugation products.

The present invention provides multi-armed high MW polymers containing hydrophilic groups and one or more functional agents, and methods of preparing such polymers.

Stimuli-responsive NPs with excellent stability, high loading efficiency, encapsulation of multiple agents, targeting to certain cells, tissues or organs of the body, can be used as delivery tools. These NPs contain a hydrophobic inner core and hydrophilic outer shell, which endows them with high stability and the ability to load therapeutic agents with high encapsulation efficiency. The NPs are preferably formed from amphiphilic stimulus-responsive polymers or a mixture of amphiphilic and hydrophobic polymers or compounds, at least one type of which is stimuli-responsive. These NPs can be made so that their cargo is released primarily within target certain cells, tissues or organs of the body, upon exposure to endogenous or exogenous stimuli. The rate of release can be controlled so that it may be a burst, sustained, delayed, or a combination thereof. The NPs have utility as research tools or for clinical applications including diagnostics, therapeutics, or combination of both.