POLYMALIC ACID BASED NANOCONJUGATES FOR IMAGING

摘要

Nanoconjugates include a polymalic-based molecular scaffold with one or more imaging moiety and one or more targeting modules attached to the scaffold. At least one imaging moiety and at least one targeting module is conjugated to the polymalicacid based molecular scaffold. Methods of synthesizing the nanoconjugate involve providing a polymalic acid having a plurality of pendant carboxyi groups. The method reacts a compound containing sulfhydryl groups and amino acid groups through the pendant carboxyi groups to add sulfhydryl groups to the polymalic acid to form an activated polymalic acid. The method reacts at least one imaging moiety containing a sulfhydryl binding group to the activated polymalic acid to form a preconjugate. The method may involve administering to the subject a nanoconjugate that includes a polymalic acid-based molecular scaffold, at least one imaging moiety, and at least one targeting module.