Leland Stanford Junior University

Incanthera Limited

Heike E Daldrup-Link

Jianghong Rao

Jason Gill

Paul Loadman

Robert Falconer

Kai Li

Hossein Nejadnik

Intravenous ferumoxytol is used to effectively label mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in vivo and is used for in vivo tracking of stem cell transplants with magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. The method eliminates risk of contamination and biologic alteration of MSCs associated with ex-vivo-labeling procedures.

Vivo iron labeling of stem cells and tracking these labeled stem cells after their transplantation

The present inventors have harnessed the targeting of nanoparticles to tumor sites, combined with the tumor site specific elevated MMP-14 activity within one conjugate to simultaneously deliver a vascular disrupting agent (VDA) and a MRI contrast agent to a tumor site. The MMP activatable conjugate of the present invention provides both therapeutic and diagnostic functions&#x2014;and is referred to as a 'theranostic'. The theranostic conjugate of the present invention achieves the benefits of tumor site specificity, VDA delivery and MRI contrast agent delivery in a single theranostic conjugate. Consequently, the present invention provides a cancer 'theranostic' which improves therapeutic efficacy while simultaneously reducing dose-limiting systemic toxicities and provides a tool for rapidly and non-invasively identifying tumor location, monitoring drug delivery and pharmacodynamics.

Tumour-targeted theranostic

A ferumoxytol-based dual-modality imaging probe for long-term stem cell tracking through MRI and early diagnosis of cell apoptosis through simultaneous fluorescence imaging is provided. Specifically, a ferumoxytol-based dual-modality imaging probe is provided with enhanced T* relaxivity for tracking stem cells through magnetic resonance imaging and detecting apoptotic stem cells through fluorescence imaging.

Dual-modality imaging probe for combined localization and apoptosis detection of stem cells

In vivo iron labeling of stem cells and tracking these labeled stem cells after their transplantation

Growing community of inventors

San Francisco, CA, United States of America

Heike E Daldrup-Link