TARGETED NANOPARTICLES JOINED TO REPORTER MOLECULES THROUGH MULTIPLE MECHANISMS

摘要

Nanoparticles, such as liposomes etc., containing multiple reporter molecules, e.g. dyes, fluorophores, FRET pairs, semiconductor nanocrystals, fluorescent chelates, chelate complexes, coordination complexes, mass tags, Raman tags, lanthanides, enzymes, enzymatic substrates, etc., through a combination of multiple physical and/or chemical interactions are disclosed. The reporter molecules are associated with the nanoparticle in at least two different ways, i.e. through different mechanisms. The nanoparticle is targeted through a targeting agent such as an antibody, an antibody fragment, a nucleotide, a peptide, an aptamer, biotin, avidin, or a ligand. The nanoparticles are useful in bioassays or imaging where an analyte is to be detected by binding of the nanoparticle to the analyte and detection of a signal from the reporter molecules.

主权项

1. A nanoparticle composition comprising:
(a) an organic nanoparticle having an external wall, an inner core region, and optional interior wall portions defining therein additional inner core regions; (b) targeting molecules linked to said external wall; and (c) reporter molecules associated with the nanoparticle through at least two of:
(i) encapsulation of the reporter molecules in one or more inner core regions;(ii) embedding of the reporter molecules in one or more of said external wall and said interior wall portions;(iii) chemical linkage of the reporter molecules to one or more of said external wall and said interior wall portions;(iv) specific binding of the reporter molecules to binding partners in one or more of said external wall and said internal wall portions; and(v) electrostatic binding of the reporter molecules to one or more of said external wall and said interior wall portions.