The present disclosure relates to nanoparticles and the uses thereof in medicine, in particular for the treatment of tumours.

Various embodiments of the present invention are directed to polyrotaxanes comprising a poloxamer core and at least one cyclodextrin and methods for treating Niemann-Pick type C (NPC) and imaging (e.g., MRI) using the polyrotaxanes of the various embodiments of the present invention.

The present invention provides compositions and methods for targeting cells for therapeutic and/or diagnostic purposes, e.g., delivery of therapeutic and/or diagnostic agents to a cell. Nanoparticles and polymers functionalized with capture molecules, reporter molecules, and/or therapeutic agents are provided for the treatment or prevention of disease, including neurological diseases associated with neuroinflammation, and cancer.

The disclosure discloses an amphiphilic polymer nano micelle containing poly-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine chelated ferric ions, in which ferric ions are chelated with a catechol structure on a side chain of a biodegradable poly-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine block. The disclosure also provides a method for preparing the above micelle, comprising: complexing an amphiphilic polymer containing poly-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine with a ferric ion compound, and obtaining the amphiphilic polymer nano micelle containing poly-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine chelated ferric ions through a solvent replacement method. The micelle prepared by the disclosure is used as a Fe.sup.3+ magnetic resonance Ti imaging contrast agent, which can avoid toxic or side effects caused by a traditional gadolinium reagent, has a longitudinal relaxation rate of 5.6 mM.sup.1.Math.s.sup.1, can cycle for 150 min in a mice body, and has an obvious imaging effect and a far higher comprehensive performance than that of a commercial gadolinium contrast agent, and as well as a promising application prospect.

The present invention relates to the field of nanovectors for the delivery of active substances in the body, in particular for the treatment of tumours. In particular, the use of these nanovectors makes it possible to improve the pharmacokinetics of the active substances with a more selective delivery, for example in the tumour tissues.

The present invention relates to the field of nanovectors for the delivery of active substances in the body, in particular for the treatment of tumours. In particular, the use of these nanovectors makes it possible to improve the pharmacokinetics of the active substances with a more selective delivery, for example in the tumour tissues.

Processes of preparing defined monomer sequence polymers are disclosed, in which a backbone portion of the polymer is first prepared by performing one or more sequential monomeric coupling reactions with intervening membrane diafiltration purification/isolation steps, followed by a step of decorating the backbone portion with one or more side chains at predetermined positions along its length. The process represents an improvement on prior art techniques, which impose limitations on the size of the side chains that may be present. Defined monomer sequence polymers that are obtainable by the processes are also disclosed.

Phospholipid-polymer-aromatic conjugates comprising binding ligands, liposome compositions including the phospholipid-polymer-aromatic conjugates, and binding ligands having an affinity for misfolded proteins are described. The phospholipid-polymer-aromatic conjugate may be represented by Structural Formula I: PL-AL-HP-X-BL (I). In Formula I, PL is a phospholipid, AL is an aliphatic linkage, HP is hydrophilic polymer, X is a link between the phospholipid-polymer and the binding ligand, and BL is polycyclic aromatic compound that functions as a binding ligand. The liposomal compositions may be useful for the imaging of misfolded and/or aggregated proteins.

Provided are macrocyclic compounds and compounds with two or more macrocyclic groups, iron coordinated macro-cyclic compounds, and iron coordinated compounds with two or more macrocyclic groups. The iron is high-spin iron(III). The iron coordinated compounds may exhibit a negative redox potential (e.g., relative to a normal hydrogen electrode at a biologically relevant pH, for example, a pH of 6.5-7.5). The compounds can be used as MRI contrast agents.

Nanoconjugates that include a polymalic-based molecular scaffold with one or more imaging moiety and one or more targeting modules attached to the scaffold are provided. Methods of targeting a diseased cell or a diseased tissue in a subject by administering the nanoconjugate are described. Methods of synthesizing the nanoconjugate are also provided.