A PSMA-specific agent comprising a compound according to Formula I or Formula II: wherein S.sub.1 is absent or is an organic spacer group comprising 3-10 carbons; A is an amino acid chain comprising 1 to 5 amino acids wherein at least one of the amino acids is selected from glutamic acid and aspartic acid; S2 is absent or is an organic spacer group comprising 1 to 15 carbons and/or 0 to 2 amino acids; I.sub.1 is an imaging group; and I.sub.2 is absent or is an imaging group. The PSMA-specific agents can be used to image PSMA within a tissue region and/or for the treatment of a cancer, such as prostate cancer.

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Provided are compounds and compositions for targeting macrophages and other mannose-binding c-type lectin receptor high expressing cells and methods of treatment and diagnosis using such compounds and compositions.

There are provided a compound of Formula (1) and a labeled biological substance having the compound.

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Z.sup.1 and Z.sup.2 represent a specific 6-membered ring. However, at least one of Z.sup.1 or Z.sup.2 is a benzene ring having a specific substituent at an ortho position with respect to a nitrogen atom to which L.sup.1 or L.sup.2 is bonded, or a specific nitrogen-containing 6-membered ring in which a ring-constituting atom located at the ortho position is a nitrogen atom.

R.sup.1 to R.sup.4, R.sup.11 to R.sup.13, L.sup.1, L.sup.2, and R.sup.21 represents specific groups, and n, α1, α2, and m represent specific numbers.

The compound has at least one structure represented by —(CH.sub.2—CH.sub.2—O).sub.m-R.sup.21 on a heterocyclic ring and has at least one substituent capable of being bonded to a carboxy group or a biological substance at a specific position, and in a case where at least one of Z.sup.1 or Z.sup.2 is the specific nitrogen-containing 6-membered ring, the specific substituents may be bonded to each other to form a ring.

The near-infrared window of fluorescent heptamethine cyanine dyes greatly facilitates biological imaging because there is deep penetration of the light and negligible background fluorescence. But dye instability, aggregation, and poor pharmacokinetics are current drawbacks that limit performance and the scope of possible applications. All these limitations are simultaneously overcome with a new molecular design strategy that produces a charge balanced and sterically shielded fluorochrome. The key design feature is a meso-Aryl group that simultaneously projects two shielding arms directly over each face of a linear heptamethine polyene. Cell and mouse imaging experiments compared a shielded heptamethine cyanine dye (and several peptide and antibody bioconjugates) to benchmark heptamethine dyes and found that the shielded systems possess an unsurpassed combination of photophysical, physiochemical and biodistribution properties that greatly enhance bioimaging performance.

Dye-loaded fluorescent polymeric nanoparticles working as light-harvesting nano-antenna, which efficiently transfer the excitation energy to acceptor dyes and, therefore, amplifies emission of the latter are provided.

Peptides that home, target, migrate to, are directed to, are retained by, or accumulate in and/or bind to the cartilage or kidney of a subject are disclosed. Pharmaceutical compositions and uses for peptides or peptide-active agent complexes comprising such peptides are also disclosed. Such compositions can be formulated for targeted delivery of an active agent to a target region, tissue, structure or cell in the cartilage. Targeted compositions of the disclosure can deliver peptide or peptide-active agent complexes to target regions, tissues, structures, or cells targeted by the peptide.

The invention provides methods and systems for imaging.

Fibroblast activation protein (FAP)-targeting compounds (e.g., conjugates); a method for imaging cancer or fibrosis; and methods for treating an inflammatory disease/disorder and cancer.

In an example embodiment, a beverage vending device is provided that includes a network interface and one or more processors. The beverage vending device also includes a computer-readable tangible medium with instructions stored thereon that direct the one or more processors to establish contact with an available network and locate a second beverage vending device on the network. The computer-readable tangible medium also has instructions stored thereon that direct the one or more processors to establish contact with the second beverage vending device on the network, and communicate with the second beverage vending device via the network.

The present invention describes a uPAR-targeting peptide conjugate comprising a fluoro bore, a peptide binding to uPAR and a linker group which are connected by covalent bonds, wherein the uPAR-targeting peptide conjugate may be used as fluorescence probe in real time optical imaging and delineation of cancer tumors or metastases during surgery.