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AssigneeThe General Hospital Corporation
InventorsLee Josephson, Ralph Weissleder, J. Manuel Perez
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The present invention provides novel compositions of binding moiety-nanoparticle conjugates, aggregates of these conjugates, and novel methods of using these conjugates, and aggregates. The nanoparticles in these conjugates can be magnetic metal oxides, either monodisperse or polydisperse. Binding moieties can be, e.g., oligonucleotides, polypeptides, or polysaccharides. Oligonucleotide sequences are linked to either non-polymer surface functionalized metal oxides or with functionalized polymers associated with the metal oxides. The novel compositions can be used in assays for detecting target molecules, such as nucleic acids and proteins, in vitro or as magnetic resonance (MR) contrast agents to detect target molecules in living organisms.
An aggregate comprising a plurality of conjugates, wherein each conjugate comprises a magnetic nanoparticle linked to a binding moiety that specifically binds to a target molecule, to another binding moiety, or to an aggregation inducing molecule, and wherein each conjugate within the aggregate is bound to at least one other conjugate in the aggregate through their respective binding moieties.
4-35. (canceled)
A conjugate comprising a magnetic nanoparticle linked to a first binding moiety, wherein the first binding moiety comprises a cleavage site for a target molecule and specifically binds to an aggregation inducing molecule, forms a cleavage site for the target molecule when the first binding moiety binds to a second binding moiety, or specifically binds to an aggregation inducing molecule that comprises a cleavage site.
39-73. (canceled)
A method for purifying a target molecule from a sample, the method comprising obtaining a conjugate comprising a nanoparticle comprising a magnetic metal oxide linked by a cleavable bond to a binding moiety that specifically binds to a binding site on the target molecule;
77-82. (canceled)
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.