Polymer microspheres containing poly-lactide-co-glycolide (PLGA) and therapeutic agent are described. Also described are methods of making such polymer microspheres and methods of using such polymer microspheres for embolizing blood vessels.

Aspects of the disclosure relate to nucleic acid vaccines. The vaccines include at least one RNA polynucleotides having a open reading frame encoding at least varicella zoster virus (VZV) antigen. Methods for preparing and using such vaccines are also described.

The invention teaches a method of efficiently dewatering a microcapsule slurry to form a water re-suspendable filter cake of microcapsules. The process comprises providing an aqueous slurry of microcapsules dispersed in an aqueous solution; adding an agglomeration agent and dispersing the agglomeration agent into the aqueous slurry; adjusting the pH to a pH level sufficient to agglomerate the dispersed microcapsules; and filtering the aqueous slurry of microcapsules by gravity, vacuum or pressure filtration to thereby form a filter cake of dewatered microcapsules. The agglomeration agent is sodium polyphosphate, sodium tetrapolyphosphate, sodium hexametaphosphate, and/or sodium tripolyphosphate; or with anionic microcapsules or coatings even alkaline earth metal salts such as magnesium chloride, calcium chloride or barium chloride, or even aluminum salt such as aluminum chloride.

The invention teaches a method of efficiently dewatering a microcapsule slurry to form a water re-suspendable filter cake of microcapsules. The process comprises providing an aqueous slurry of microcapsules dispersed in an aqueous solution; adding an agglomeration agent and dispersing the agglomeration agent into the aqueous slurry; adjusting the pH to a pH level sufficient to agglomerate the dispersed microcapsules; and filtering the aqueous slurry of microcapsules by gravity, vacuum or pressure filtration to thereby form a filter cake of dewatered microcapsules. The agglomeration agent is sodium polyphosphate, sodium tetrapolyphosphate, sodium hexametaphosphate, and/or sodium tripolyphosphate; or with anionic microcapsules or coatings even alkaline earth metal salts such as magnesium chloride, calcium chloride or barium chloride, or even aluminum salt such as aluminum chloride.

Disclosed herein are compositions of a multimodal detection agent and methods of fabricating the same. The multimodal detection agent comprises a plurality of metallic nanoparticles attached to a surface of a polymeric carrier. The detection agent further comprising one or more target-specific binding agents attached to the metallic nanoparticles or the polymeric carrier.

The disclosure relates to a composition for labeling a target lesion, in form of microspheres including a biocompatible polymer; and a dye for biological tissue, and directly administered to a target lesion to confirm size and location of the target lesion in real time during surgery at a target site and a method preparing the same. The composition for labeling a target lesion of the present disclosure, when injected into a target lesion, remains there for several months and can detect the location and size of the labeled lesion in real time during surgery, thereby not only improving the success rate of surgical operation for the target lesion, but also preventing excessive loss of normal tissue, and therefore can be widely utilized as an effective surgical marker.

Bead constructs of sizes in the nanometer to micrometer range with a primary functionalization of a lipid membrane with embedded anchor peptides are provided. The anchor peptides may be adapted for a secondary functionalization of active molecules that are bound to the anchor peptides by transpeptidation or similar process. The functionalized bead platform can be adaptable and used in many different applications including biochemical and cellular assays, molecular diagnostics such as protein-protein interactions, protein-DNA interactions, DNA detection, separations, purifications, imaging, and microfluidics.

A capsule comprising a polymeric shell surrounding a NIR absorber, the polymeric shell comprises a poly(amino acid) and is obtainable by interfacial polymerization of a N-carboxy-anhydride monomer according to general structure (I). The capsule is suitable for opto-medical applications such as phototherapies including photothermal therapy (PTT), photodynamic therapy (PDT), photo stimulated drug release and fluorescence medical imaging.

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Aspects of the disclosure relate to nucleic acid vaccines. The vaccines include at least one RNA polynucleotides having a open reading frame encoding at least varicella zoster virus (VZV) antigen. Methods for preparing and using such vaccines are also described.