In an embodiment, the present disclosure pertains to a nanocarrier having a shell and a core disposed within the shell. In some embodiments, the shell includes a functionalized surface. In an additional embodiment, the present disclosure pertains to a method of drug delivery. In general, the method includes administering a nanocarrier to a subject, targeting, by the nanocarrier, an area in the subject, and releasing a composition having the drug to the area. In some embodiments, the nanocarrier has a shell and a core disposed within the shell. In some embodiments, the shell includes a functionalized surface.

Cancer imaging methods and cancer treatment methods using thermotherapy and drug delivery are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, the temperature of heated tissue is determined from radio-frequency data from an ultrasound transducer based upon a change in backscattered energy of acoustic harmonics. In another embodiment, a plurality of nanocarriers containing an anti-tumor medication are administered to a patient, and are excited in a first non-thermal ultrasound mode and/or a second thermal ultrasound mode using an ultrasound source. In yet another embodiment, a plurality of nanoparticles are administered to a patient, then at least some of the nanoparticles are heated along with tissue at a site of a tumor, and a photoacoustic imaging unit is used to determine a temperature of the heated tissue at the site of the tumor.

Provided herein are functionalized nanoparticles and compositions containing functionalized nanoparticles. The functionalized nanoparticles include a first metal nanoparticle functionalized with a drug and a targeting biomolecule, and a second metal nanoparticle functionalized with an siRNA and a targeting biomolecule. The compositions include the first metal nanoparticle and the second metal nanoparticle. Kits and methods of drug delivery also are provided.

The present invention relates to an optical fiber and a device including the optical fiber. The optical fiber is an optical fiber (1) functionalized with at least one particle (1) of a polymeric gel comprising at least one photosensitive molecule (7) and at least one biomolecule (6), wherein the at least one particle (2) of the polymeric gel is covalently bound to said optical fiber (1).

The present invention discloses stimuli-sensitive protein conjugate which can make supramolecular protein assemblies and methods for using the same. The present invention provides simple and rational process for construction of said stimuli-sensitive spherical protein assemblies through supramolecular chemical strategy.

Novel photocleavable drug conjugates for forming drug depots comprise drugs attached to photocleavable groups. The drug is crosslinked via photocleavable group(s) to themselves to form a photocleavable drug conjugate that generally forms the depot.

A novel 34 amino acid long collagen-like peptide rich in proline, hydroxyproline, and glycine, and with several photoreactive N-acyl-7-nitroindoline units incorporated into the peptide backbone was synthesized by on-resin fragment condensation. The circular dichroism measurement of this peptide supports a stable triple helix structure. This peptide has potential as a new biomimetic material with built-in latent photochemical functions that enable the decomposition into small peptide fragments by illumination with UV light of 350 nm. Using a photoreactive glycine derivative as a model compound for the collagen-like peptide, we demonstrate that its photolysis can also be triggered by a two-photon absorption process using a femtosecond laser at 710 nm. When a thin film of this compound is irradiated with femtosecond laser light at 710 nm the photochemistry occurs only at locations of irradiation. In addition, the collagen-like peptide is able to support mesenchymal stem cell growth, indicating its non-toxicity to these cells and its potential in tissue engineering applications.

A photodegradable polymeric system is presented that can be employed to entrap and stabilize bioactive therapeutics such as proteins and vaccines from environmental stressors. This system would obviate the need for refrigeration and would decrease transportation and storage costs of temperature-sensitive therapeutics. By using a photosensitive release system, users can administer temperature-sensitive compounds at their discretion. This photodegradable system will also permit the potential to stabilize temperature-sensitive therapeutics in a liquid suspension, eliminating the need for reconstitution.

The invention provides oligonucleotide conjugates including a photolabile crosslinker attached to a cargo moiety, e.g., a therapeutic or diagnostic agent. The invention further provides reagents useful in the preparation of such conjugates and methods of their use.

A responsive hydrogel-based material may be used as a carrier system for the in situ delivery of various cargo substances, including bioactive moieties. The hydrogel structure, which includes photodegradable and thioether moieties in its three dimensional network, enables finely tuned local release of cargo substances as a function of the in vivo tissue environment (e.g., enzyme concentration or reducing environment) and externally applied stimuli (e.g., light) by selective spatiotemporal hydrogel degradation.