Open AccessSmall flexible structure for targeted delivery of therapeutic and imaging moieties in precision medicine
Author(s) -
Shaofan Hu,
Wei Wang,
Yanling Zhang,
Bingjie Li,
Xiuchun Qiu,
Chaoxia Zou,
Hongjun Ran,
Fujun Zhang,
Ke Shi
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
oncotarget
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.373
H-Index - 127
ISSN - 1949-2553
DOI - 10.18632/oncotarget.8335
Subject(s) - molecular imaging , precision medicine , medicine , small molecule , imaging agent , computational biology , cancer research , chemistry , pathology , in vivo , biochemistry , microbiology and biotechnology , biology
The goals of precision medicine are to link diagnostic and therapeutic agents, improve clinical outcomes, and minimize side effects. We present a simple, small, flexible three-armed core structure that can be conjugated to targeting, imaging, and therapeutic moieties. The targeting molecule can be a peptide, protein, or chemical compound. The diagnostic reporter can be optical and/or nuclear in nature, and can be replaced by chemo- and/or radiotherapeutic compounds for treatment using a single targeting molecule. Imaging components can be used to detect disease biomarkers, monitor treatment response, and guide surgery in real-time to create a tumor-free margin. Isotope impurity can be exploited to visualize whole-body distribution of therapeutic agents. The one-to-one ratio of targeting component to therapeutic agents facilitates dose calculation. The simple synthesis and flexible, modular nature of the agent facilitate high-purity, large-scale production. The core capacity to "seek, treat, and see" may advance precision medicine in the future.