MRI contrast agents and high-throughput screening by MRI
First Claim
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1. An MRI contrast agent, comprising:
- (i) MRI contrast agent particles that are biocompatible and biodegradable in vivo,(ii) oligonucleotides, attached to the particles, wherein the oligonucleotides have one end attached to the particles and a second free end; and
(iii) an aptamer comprising an oligonucleotide sequence that is complementary to the free end of two oligonucleotides attached to different particles, wherein the aptamer is hybridized to the free end of the two oligonucleotides thereby forming a bridge between the particles, wherein the particles, the oligonucleotides, and the aptamer, together form aggregates in absence of the effector and wherein the aptamer, specific for an effector, undergoes a conformational change when bound to the effector, causing the particles to disaggregate.
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Abstract
The present invention provides an MRI contrast agent, comprising: MRI contrast agent particles, and oligonucleotides, attached to the particles.
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Citations
29 Claims
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1. An MRI contrast agent, comprising:
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(i) MRI contrast agent particles that are biocompatible and biodegradable in vivo, (ii) oligonucleotides, attached to the particles, wherein the oligonucleotides have one end attached to the particles and a second free end; and (iii) an aptamer comprising an oligonucleotide sequence that is complementary to the free end of two oligonucleotides attached to different particles, wherein the aptamer is hybridized to the free end of the two oligonucleotides thereby forming a bridge between the particles, wherein the particles, the oligonucleotides, and the aptamer, together form aggregates in absence of the effector and wherein the aptamer, specific for an effector, undergoes a conformational change when bound to the effector, causing the particles to disaggregate. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 6, 7, 11, 12, 14, 18, 21, 26, 29)
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4. An MRI contrast agent, comprising:
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MRI contrast agent particles that are biocompatible and biodegradable in vivo; oligonucleotides, attached to the particles, wherein the oligonucleotides have one end attached to the particles and a second free end; and a nucleic acid enzyme specific for an effector, comprising (a) an oligonucleotide substrate strand comprising an oligonucleotide sequence that is complementary to the free end of two oligonucleotides attached to different particles, wherein the oligonucleotide substrate strand is hybridized to the free end of the two oligonucleotides thereby forming a bridge between the particles, and (b) an oligonucleotide enzyme strand which is hybridized to the oligonucleotide substrate strand, wherein the particles, the oligonucleotides, the oligonucleotide substrate strand and the oligonucleotide enzyme strand, together form aggregates in absence of the effector; and wherein the oligonucleotide enzyme strand cleaves the oligonucleotide substrate strand in the presence of the effector, causing the particles to disaggregate. - View Dependent Claims (5, 8, 9, 10, 13, 15, 19, 22, 24, 27)
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16. An MRI contrast agent, comprising:
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MRI contrast agent particles that are biocompatible and biodegradable in vivo; oligonucleotides, attached to the particles, wherein the oligonucleotides have one end attached to the particles and a second free end; and an aptazyme specific for an effector and a co-factor, comprising (a) an oligonucleotide substrate strand comprising an oligonucleotide sequence that is complementary to the free end of two oligonucleotides attached to different particles wherein the oligonucleotide substrate strand is hybridized to the free end of the two oligonucleotides thereby forming a bridge between the particles, and (b) an oligonucleotide enzyme strand hybridized to the oligonucleotide substrate strand, wherein the oligonucleotide enzyme strand comprises (i) an aptamer portion comprising a binding site for the effector, and (ii) an enzyme portion comprising a binding site for the co-factor when hybridized to the oligonucleotide substrate strand, wherein the particles, the oligonucleotides, the oligonucleotide substrate strand and the oligonucleotide enzyme strand, together form aggregates in absence of the effector and the co-factor; and wherein the oligonucleotide enzyme strand cleaves the oligonucleotide substrate strand in the presence of the effector and the co-factor, causing the particles to disaggregate. - View Dependent Claims (17, 20, 23, 25, 28)
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Specification