| 摘要 |
A nano-capsule construct for imaging and therapeutic uses and method for production are provided. One nano-probe embodiment based on genome-depleted plant brome mosaic virus (BMV) whose interior is doped with indocyanine green (ICG), an FDA-approved near infrared fluorescent dye, is used to illustrate the invention. The material encapsulated in viral shell components may be coated with functionalized coatings such as branched, dendritic polymer coatings to improve longevity and distribution in the body as well as antibody conjugation for increased target specificity. The constructs can also be coated with ferromagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles, enabling the ICG-containing capsules to be used as nano-probes with the capability of being detected in both optical and magnetic resonance imaging. The capsules may be produced by purifying a plant or animal viruses and disassembling the viruses to provide virus shell components. The virus shell components are reassembled in the presence of a material for encapsulation thereby encapsulating said material within the core of the construct in one embodiment.
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