Accordingly, certain embodiments of the invention provide a conjugate of formula (I): P-(X-D)n, wherein P is a peptide that binds to a glucose regulated protein 78 (GRP78); X is a direct bond or a linking group; D is a detectable agent; and n is 1 to 4. Certain embodiments of the invention provide a pharmaceutical composition comprising a conjugate of formula (I) and a pharmaceutically acceptable excipient. Certain embodiments of the invention provide a method for treating or preventing cancer in an animal (e.g., a human) comprising administering a therapeutically effective amount of a conjugate of formula (I) (e.g., a conjugate comprising a therapeutic radionuclide) to the animal.

The presently disclosed subject matter provides compositions and kits comprising light-emitting versions of the monoclonal antibody to C3d (mAB 3d29) for imaging and methods of use thereof for detecting infectious and inflammatory cells in vivo. The presently disclosed subject matter also provides methods for detecting and/or monitoring a Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis) infection in a subject, as well as methods of treating a M. tuberculosis infection in a subject.

Provided herein is a fluorescent probe compound of formula (I):

##STR00001##

as well as methods of using said compound.

Non-aggregating resorbable calcium phosphosilicate nanoparticles (CPNPs) are bioconjugated to targeting molecules that are specific for particular cells. The CPNPs are stable particles at normal physiological pH. Chemotherapy and imaging agents may be integrally formed with the CPNPs so that they are compartmentalized within the CPNPs. In this manner, the agents are protected from interaction with the environment at normal physiological pH. However, once the CPNPs have been taken up, at intracellular pH, the CPNPs dissolve releasing the agent. Thus, chemotherapeutic or imaging agents are delivered to specific cells and permit the treatment and/or imaging of those cells. Use of the bioconjugated CPNPs both limits the amount of systemic exposure to the agent and delivers a higher concentration of the agent to the cell. The methods and principals of bioconjugating CPNPs are taught by examples of bioconjugation of targeting molecules for breast cancer, pancreatic cancer, and leukemia.

The present invention is directed to EGFR-specific peptide reagents, methods for detecting pre-cancer, early cancer and/or cancer using the peptide reagents, and methods for targeting pre-cancer cells, early cancer cells and/or cancer cells using the peptide reagents. In one aspect, the disclosure provides reagents consisting essentially of a peptide QRHKPRE (SEQ ID NO: 1), HAHRSWS (SEQ ID NO: 2), YLTMPTP (SEQ ID NO: 3), TYPISFM (SEQ ID NO: 4), KLPGWSG (SEQ ID NO: 5), IQSPHFF (SEQ ID NO: 6), YSIPKSS (SEQ ID NO: 7), SHRNRPRNTQPS (SEQ ID NO: 8), NRHKPREKTFTD (SEQ ID NO: 9).

A method and apparatus for determining physiological data related to an animal, such as kidney diagnostics data, is provided. The method includes injecting a mixture of a first and a second molecule into an animal (e.g., a human patient), determining a molecular ratio of the molecules, and determining the physiological data based on the molecular ratio. The apparatus includes a number of finger receiving apertures, a light generation circuit, a light detection circuit, a pulse counting circuit, and a user interface.

The present invention relates to a CD43 epitope expressed on human acute leukemia and lymphoblastic lymphoma cells and its use. More particularly, the present invention relates to a CD43 epitope expressed on human acute leukemia, lymphoblastic lymphoma cells, but not on mature hematopoietic cells, hematopoietic stem cells and non-hematopoietic cells, and to its diagnostic and therapeutic application on acute leukemia and lymphoblastic lymphoma.

Described herein is the discovery of novel PSMA-specific peptides, which were identified through a novel combinatorial biopanning method. One of the novel PSMA-specific peptides discovered, GTIQPYPFSWGY (or GTI) (SEQ ID NO: 2), exhibits high binding affinity and selectivity to PSMA and PSMA-positive prostate cancer cells. It was found that GTI can mediate internalization of the apoptotic KLA peptide to PSMA-positive LNCaP cells and induce cell death. Moreover, a FAM-labeled GTI peptide shows a high and specific tumor uptake in nude mice bearing human prostate cancer xenografts. It was demonstrated that the GTI peptide can be employed as a PSMA-specific ligand for prostate cancer diagnosis and/or for targeted drug delivery to prostate cancer cells.

Compositions, systems, devices, and methods for performing precise chemical treatment of tissues are disclosed. Systems, devices, and methods for administering a chemical agent to one or more a precise regions within a tissue mass are disclosed. Compositions, systems, devices, and methods for treating targeted regions within a tissue mass are disclosed. Systems, devices, and methods for identifying, localizing, monitoring neural traffic in the vicinity of, quantifying neural traffic in the vicinity of, and mapping neural traffic near targeted regions within a tissue mass are disclosed.

Disclosed are compositions and methods for assessing the presence of tumor cells amongst normal cells.