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.

The present disclosure relates to mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) with specific modifications as drug delivery systems containing both tumor targeting and blood-brain barrier (BBB) penetration properties suitable for cancer treatment and/or CNS disease treatment. The present disclosure also relates to method of preparing MSNs and the MSNs prepared by the method as described herein.

Products, compositions, systems, and methods for modifying a target structure which mediates or is associated with a biological activity, including treatment of conditions, disorders, or diseases mediated by or associated with a target structure, such as a virus, cell, subcellular structure or extracellular structure. The methods may be performed in situ in a non-invasive manner by placing a nanoparticle having a metallic shell on at least a fraction of a surface in a vicinity of a target structure in a subject and applying an initiation energy to a subject thus producing an effect on or change to the target structure directly or via a modulation agent. The nanoparticle is configured, upon exposure to a first wavelength λ.sub.1, to generate a second wavelength λ.sub.2 of radiation having a higher energy than the first wavelength λ.sub.1. The methods may further be performed by application of an initiation energy to a subject in situ to activate a pharmaceutical agent directly or via an energy modulation agent, optionally in the presence of one or more plasmonics active agents, thus producing an effect on or change to the target structure. Kits containing products or compositions formulated or configured and systems for use in practicing these methods.

The present invention relates to the medical field, in particular to the treatment of neurological disorders. More specifically the present invention relates to a nanoparticle or nanoparticles' aggregate for use in prevention or treatment of a neurological disease or at least one symptom thereof in a subject when the nanoparticle or nanoparticles' aggregate is exposed to an electric field, wherein the nanoparticle's or nanoparticles' aggregate's material is selected from a conductor material, a semiconductor material, an insulator material with a dielectric constant ε.sub.ijk equal to or above 200, and an insulator material with a dielectric constant ε.sub.ijk equal to or below 100. It further relates to compositions and kits comprising such nanoparticles and/or nanoparticles' aggregates as well as to uses thereof.

Provided are methods for preparing iron nanoparticles and to iron nanoparticles produced by those methods. The invention also provides methods for coating the iron nanoparticles with oxides and functionalizing the iron nanoparticles with organic and polymeric ligands. Additionally, the invention provides methods of using such iron nanoparticles.

A theranostic agent can be used in both photoacoustic imaging (PAI) and photothermal therapy (PTT) applications. The theranostic agent can include a small molecule, organic compound with absorption in the near-infrared (NIR) interrogation window (700-900 nm). The compound can be a biocompatible organic nanoparticle (ONP). The theranostic agent can be effectively used in PAI and PAI-guided PTT applications. The theranostic agent can be administered to a patient to locate a tumor site in the patient using in vivo imaging techniques. Once the tumor site has been determined, the tumor site can be irradiated with near-infrared light to stop or inhibit the growth of the tumor. An exemplary theranostic agent is provided below ##STR00001##

Certain embodiments are directed to compositions comprising and method for producing alginate microspheres that contain liposomes encapsulating a variety of useful substances. Substances of note that can be encapsulated in liposomes and loaded alginate microspheres include radiotherapeutics (e.g., rhenium-188), radiolabels (e.g., technetium-99m), chemotherapeutics (doxorubicin), magnetic particles (e.g., 10 m iron nanoparticles), and radio-opaque material (e.g., iodine contrast).

The present invention relates to a cancer cell-targeted drug delivery carrier, a composition for promoting photo-thermal treatment effects, and the like, which contain M1 macrophages as an active ingredient. The drug delivery carrier of the present invention uses the M1 macrophages mobility to tumor cells and the M1 macrophage penetrability into tumors, and can deliver drugs specifically to tumor and cancer tissues only, and, when performing photo-thermal treatment by loading M1 macrophages with a photosensitive material, can significantly increase the effects, and thus is expected to be effectively used for promoting cancer treatment effects.

A thermal accelerant can be used as a drug delivery vehicle to deliver one or more drugs to a target site. For example, in some embodiments, a carrier such as albumin or human serum albumin (HSA) can be impregnated with, or covalently attached to, an anti-tumor agent and delivered to a location proximate to a tumor of a patient. The carrier can be exposed to an energy source that structurally alters the carrier and releases the agent therefrom. The sources of energy can include one or more of microwave, radiofrequency, electrical pulse (electroporation) or sonar (HIFU or histotripsy). In some embodiments, the anti-tumor agent can be delayed release such that a portion of the agent is released from the carrier over an extended period of time. The incorporation of an anti-tumor agent in a thermal accelerant provides a thermal ablation-drug delivery combination therapy (e.g., a thermally-activated combination therapy).

The present invention relates to a superparamagnetic gold nanoparticle cluster-protein nanoparticle fusion body for magnetic resonance imaging and magnetic thermotherapy. According to the present invention, a superparamagnetic gold nanoparticle cluster-protein nanoparticle fusion body which has target directionality and a high density of ultrafine gold nanoparticles uniformly coupled to the surface of protein nanoparticles can be fabricated with neither a separate surface stabilization process nor a separate target directionality conferring process. Hence, the superparamagnetic gold nanoparticle cluster-protein nanoparticle fusion body according to the present invention is superior to conventional gold nanoparticles in terms of biocompatibility and has excellent target directionality as well as being identified to have a temperature elevation potential in an alternating magnetic field and a functionality as a T2-MRI contrast medium thanks to the superparamagnetism property of the ultrafine gold nanoparticles.