The tumor stroma, which accounts for a large part of the tumor mass, represents an attractive target for the delivery of diagnostic and therapeutic compounds. Here, the focus is notably on a subpopulation of stromal cells, known as cancer-associated fibroblasts, which are present in more than 90% of epithelial carcinomas, including pancreatic, colon, and breast cancer. Cancer-associated fibroblasts feature high expression of FAP, which is not detectable in adult normal tissue but is associated with a poor prognosis in cancer patients. The present invention provides small-molecule radiopharmaceutical and imaging agents based on a FAP-specific inhibitor.

Provided herein are imaging agents, antidotes to the imaging agents and methods of using the same to image a thrombus or blood clot or thrombin including sites of thrombin accumulation and to diagnose and treat thrombosis. The imaging agents include an aptamer capable of binding the thrombus or thrombin in particular linked to a reporter moiety. The imaging agents may be used to label the thrombus or sites of thrombin accumulation. Antidotes capable of binding to the aptamer in the imaging agent are also provided. The antidotes may further be linked to a quencher capable of quenching the reporter moiety.

The present invention relates to a conjugate of cell penetrating peptide and an active ingredient; and its use. Specifically, a conjugate including a cell penetrating peptide which is a peptide comprising any one amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1 to SEQ ID NO: 156, a fragment of any one sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1 to SEQ ID NO: 156, or a peptide having above 80% homology with the above-mentioned sequence; and a composition comprising the same are disclosed.

An agent for use in detecting, monitoring, and/or imaging cancer cells and/or cancer cell metastasis, migration, dispersal, and/or invasion, and/or for treating cancer in a subject includes a targeting peptide, at least one of a detectable moiety, therapeutic agent, or a theranostic agent, and a peptide or peptidomimetic spacer that directly or indirectly links the targeting peptide to the at least one of the detectable moiety, therapeutic agent, or theranostic agent.

The present invention provides random copolymers containing zwitterions and one or more functional agents, and methods of preparing such random copolymers.

The present invention provides a tumour vasculature permeabilising molecule for use in permeabilising vasculature of a tumour for treating, detecting or diagnosing said tumour wherein said tumour vasculature permeabilising molecule is formulated for systemic administration to said patient. A composition comprising a tumour vasculature permeabilising molecule and an appropriate anticancer agent or imaging agent, and a method of treatment or a method of detecting the presence or absence of a tumour are also provided.

Gas vesicles, protein variants and related compositions methods and systems for singleplexed and/or multiplexed ultrasound imaging of a target site in which a gas vesicle provides contrast for the imaging which is modifiable by application of a selectable acoustic collapse pressure value of the gas vesicle.

Fibronectin type III domains (FN3) that specifically bind to CD8A, related polynucleotides capable of encoding CD8A-specific FN3 domains, cells expressing the FN3 domains, as well as associated vectors, and detectably labeled FN3 domains are useful in therapeutic and diagnostic applications.

A system comprising: one or more field generating coils configured to generate a magnetic field; a sensor comprising a shell that contains a ferrofluid, the sensor configured to be introduced in proximity to the magnetic field, wherein the ferrofluid causes distortion of the magnetic field when the ferrofluid is in proximity to the magnetic field; and one or more field measuring coils configured to: measure a characteristic of the magnetic field when the ferrofluid is in proximity to the magnetic field; and provide, to a computing device, a signal representative of the measured characteristic of the magnetic field, wherein the computing device is configured to determine one or both of a position and an orientation of the sensor based on the measured characteristic of the magnetic field.

Described herein is a peptide, a multimodal peptide ligand imaging agent and methods for use in tumor targeting, tumor visualization, drug delivery and as an imaging ligand. The invention further provides for a theranostic peptide agent and methods for use in the treatment of cancer and/or inflammation in a subject.