To provide a bacterium-based microrobot which can be specifically targeted to cancer in vivo, the present invention provides a drug delivery system for cancer tissue, comprising a bacterium, and a microbead encapsulated with at least one drug, wherein biotin is bound to a surface of the bacterium and a surface of the microbead is coated with streptavidin.

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.

Near-infrared fluorescent dye-loaded microspheres and a formulation thereof that include a complex of a near-infrared fluorescent dye and human serum albumin or cyclodextrin loaded into polymer microspheres, optionally with a hydrogel polymer. The near-infrared fluorescent dye-loaded microspheres are used in a method of marking lesions for accurately identifying the location of lesion sites from fluorescence imaging during surgery. The method involves injecting the microspheres into lesion sites in a subject, such as cancer. The intensity of fluorescence generated from the microspheres is stronger than that when microspheres are prepared using a near-infrared fluorescent dye alone, the stability of the fluorescent dye in the microspheres is improved, and the marked sites can be identified through fluorescent imaging for a long period of time, increasing the accuracy of surgery for lesion excision, and shortening the time required for surgery.

Polymer microspheres for embolizing blood vessels and optionally delivering therapeutic agents are provided.

A composite resin particle comprising a near infrared absorber according to general formula I and a resin selected from the group consisting of (poly(amino acids), polyphosphazenes, poly saccahride derivatives, poly(esters), poly(ortho esters), poly(cyano-acry lates) and copolymers thereof (General formula (I)). The composite resin particles are suitable for opto-medical applications such as phototherapies including photothermal therapy (PTT), photodynamic therapy (PDT), chemo-photodynamic nanotherapeutics and fluorescence medical imaging.

Disclosed herein is a composition for ultrasensitive bioassay applications. The composition includes a plurality of dispersible, nanoparticles having a size less than 500 nm. The nanoparticles contain a metal catalyst or a metal catalyst precursor. The nanoparticles are conjugated to at least one biospecific binding reactant that is selectively reactive with a target analyte. The composition includes a dispersing medium. A method and a kit for conducting bioassays are described.

A microsphere and method for forming the same are disclosed. The microsphere includes modified cellulose and at least one of a visualization agent, a magnetic material, or a radioactive material.

Acoustically responsive stabilized microbubbles formulated with a phospholipid monolayer shell, an encapsulated bioactive gas, and an encapsulated perfluorocarbon gas of the formula C.sub.xF.sub.y in a volume ratio of from about 10:1 to about 1:10, wherein X is greater than or equal to 3, are disclosed. Also provided are methods for promoting localized vasodilation in a patient in need thereof by delivering a microbubble comprising a phospholipid monolayer shell and an encapsulated bioactive gas locally to a target diseased section of the patient's vasculature; and releasing the bioactive gas at the target diseased section, wherein the microbubble comprises the bioactive gas in a ratio of from about 10:1 to about 1:10 by volume with a perfluorocarbon gas.

The present invention includes photochemical method of making hybrid metal-polymer microparticles in an aqueous, biocompatible solution by providing a metal (I) composition and one or more polymeric materials; applying an electromagnetic radiation to the metal (I) composition; converting the metal (I) composition to a metal (0) composition; forming one or more hybrid metal-polymer microparticles from the metal (0); capping the one or more hybrid metal-polymer microparticles; and stabilizing the one or more hybrid metal-polymer microparticles with the one or more polymeric materials to prevent agglomeration.

The present invention provides targeting probe, imaging probes, and probes for use as a medicament to treat damaged cartilage, where the probe targets injured tissue and can then be imaged and/or release agents to trigger the migration of surrounding chondrocytes from healthy tissue to injured tissue and/or recruit synovial stem cells.