Carbohydrate-Encapsulated Quantum Dots For Cell-Specific Biological Imaging
Description of Invention:
Available for licensing is intellectual property covering carbohydrate-encapsulated quantum dots (QD) for use in medical imaging and methods of making the same. Certain carbohydrates, especially those included on tumor glycoproteins are known to have affinity for certain cell types. One notable glycan used in the present invention is the Thomsen-Freidenreich disaccharide (Galbeta1-3GalNAalpha-O-Ser/Thr) that is readily detectable in 90% of all primary human carcinomas and their metastases. These glycans can be exploited for medical imaging. Quantum Dots (QDs) are metallic (CdSe or CdTe) nanoparticles with detectable luminescent properties. Conjugating luminescent QDs with target specific glycans permits efficient imaging of the tissue to which the glycans bind with high affinity. Accurate imaging of diseased cells (e.g., primary and metastatic tumors) is of primary importance in disease management. The inventors describe the only stable synthesis of glycan encapsulated QDs. In one embodiment, the synthesis involves the preparation of hybrid QDs containing a glycan and a luminescence-enhancing passivating agent in various ratios. Second generation QDs contain the glycan ligands and polyethylene glycols (PEG) of varying chain lengths. The PEG modifications produced QDs that maintained high luminescence while reducing non-specific cell binding.
Inventors:
Joseph Barchi (NCI) Sergei Svarovsky (NCI)
Patent Status:
DHHS Reference No. E-133-2004/0 --
U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/554,994 filed 22 Mar 2004
PCT Application No. PCT/US2005/09344 filed 22 Mar 2005, which published as WO 2005/093422 on 06 Oct 2005
Portfolios: Devices/Instrumentation Cancer
Cancer -Therapeutics-Immunoconjugates-Conjugate Chemistry Devices/Instrumentation-Diagnostics-Imaging-Apparatus Cancer -Therapeutics Devices/Instrumentation-Diagnostics
For Additional Information Please Contact: Michael Shmilovich J.D.
NIH Office of Technology Transfer
6011 Executive Blvd, Suite 325
Rockville, MD 20852-3804
Phone: (301) 435-5019
Email: shmilovm@mail.nih.gov
Fax: (301) 402-0220
