Disclosed herein are phthalocyanine dyes, and conjugates thereof, useful as fluorescent reporters for bioassays, for optical imaging and as therapeutic conjugates as the photosensitizing agents in light-based therapies including photoimmuno therapy (PIT). Certain phthalocyanine dyes disclosed herein are water soluble, and possess photophysical and photochemical profiles useful for use in imaging or therapy.

The invention relates to a nanoparticle preparation comprising nanoparticles of well-defined and reproducible sizes, that are substantially free of aggregate formation.

The present disclosure relates to compositions and methods of killing cells in vitro or in vivo. In particular examples, the method includes contacting a cell having a cell surface protein with a therapeutically effective amount of an antibody-IR700 molecule, wherein the antibody specifically binds to the cell surface protein. In particular examples the antibody recognizes a tumor-specific antigen on the surface of a tumor cell. The cell is subsequently irradiated, such as at a wavelength of 660 to 740 nm at a dose of at least 1 J cm.sup.−2, thereby killing the cell. Also provided are wearable devices that include an article of clothing, jewelry, or covering; and an NIR LED incorporated into the article, which can be used with the disclosed methods.

There is described herein a nanoparticle comprising an outer shell comprising a porphyrin salt, an expanded porphyrin salt or an analog of porphyrin salt, around an inner oil core.

Disclosed are a film-forming agent composition for contrast agent, a film-forming lipid solution including the film-forming agent composition, a contrast agent including the film-forming lipid solution, and a preparation method thereof. The film-forming agent composition for contrast agent includes a lipid, an emulsifier and a surface charge modifier; relative to 100 parts by weight of the lipid, the content of the emulsifier is 20-50 parts by weight, and the content of the surface charge modifier is 10-35 parts by weight; and the lipid is a carboxylated phospholipid, and the surface charge modifier is a polyelectrolyte. Based on the composition, the nanodroplets of the resulting contrast agent have more uniform particle size, higher stability and better controllability, as well as a lower threshold value for ultrasonic gasification.

Provided herein is a drug delivery (DD) system for ratiometric luminescence determination of drug release degree in drug delivery monitoring, which includes a drug, a switchable reporter and non-switchable reporter providing two distinguishable signals for detection; or a single switchable reporter providing two distinguishable signals for detection, and a cleavable linker connecting a drug to a switchable reporter, as well as a method for ratiometric luminescence determination of drug release in a target (in vivo or in vitro), which is effected by administering the DD system provided herein that is capable of releasing a drug from the DD system, measuring two luminescent signals provided by the switchable reporter and the non-switchable reporter, or the single switchable reporter, determining the ratio between these two luminescence signals, and determining the drug release degree through the ratio between the two luminescence signals.

Provided herein are apohemoglobin-haptoglobin complexes as well as apohemoglobin-haptoglobin complexes comprising an active agent coordinated thereto. Methods of using these compositions are also described.

An example medical device includes an optical sensor, processing circuitry, an antenna, and a power source. The optical sensor includes a light source; a reference optical beacon having a first fluorophore that emits a first fluorescence proportional to a first concentration of a substance proximate the beacon; a test optical beacon having a reagent substrate that reacts with an analyte to produce the substance and a second fluorophore that emits a second fluorescence proportional to a second concentration of the substance proximate the test beacon; and a photodetector to detect the first and second fluorescence. The processing circuitry determines a difference between the first and second fluorescence, which is indicative of the concentration of the analyte. The antenna and power source enable the medical device to operate completely within a biological system for continuous analyte monitoring.

The present disclosure relates to compositions and methods of killing cells. In particular examples, the method includes contacting a cell having a cell surface protein with a therapeutically effective amount of an antibody-IR700 molecule, wherein the antibody specifically binds to the cell surface protein, such as a tumor-specific antigen on the surface of a tumor cell. The cell is subsequently irradiated, such as at a wavelength of 660 to 740 nm at a dose of at least 1 J cm.sup.−2. The cell is also contacted with one or more therapeutic agents (such as an anti-cancer agent), for example about 0 to 8 hours after irradiating the cell, thereby killing the cell. Also provided are methods of imaging cell killing in real time, using fluorescence lifetime imaging. Also provided are wearable devices that include an article of clothing, jewelry, or covering; and an NIR LED incorporated into the article, which can be used with the disclosed methods.

An embodiment of the present invention provides a nanocarrier in a micelle structure, a pharmaceutical composition for diagnosis of cancer, comprising the same nanocarrier, and a method for preparing the same nanocarrier. The nanocarrier is obtained by dispersing a water-in-oil nanoemulsion containing an oil phase ingredient, a surfactant, and an aqueous phase ingredient inclusive of a cancer cell fluorescence-inducing substance and a cancer cell-targeting polysaccharide in water to remove the oil phase ingredient, whereby the nanocarrier includes the aqueous phase ingredient.