Modular Imaging Agents Containing Amino Acids and Peptides

Abstract

Targeted molecular imaging agents (TMIAs) are derived from coupling together pre-formed amino acids with imaging agents attached to their side chains. These peptide-based imaging agents may be synthesized from a single or multiple preformed amino acids containing multi-modal, multi-chelated metal, multi-dye imaging agents, or combinations of these, on the side chains of resultant peptides. These imaging amino acids or peptides may be conjugated directly, or activated, or attached to linkers to which targeting groups, such as peptides, proteins, antibodies, aptamers, or small molecule inhibitors, may be conjugated in the final steps of the synthesis to form a wide variety of TMIAs.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.