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AssigneeMassachusetts Institute of Technology
InventorsAbraham J. Domb, Ruxandra Gref, Yoshiharu Minamitake, Maria T. Peracchia, Robert S. Langer
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Injectable particles are provided that are not rapidly cleared from the blood stream by the macrophages of the reticuloendothelial system, and that can be modified as necessary to achieve variable release rates or to target specific cells or organs as desired. The injectable particles can include magnetic particles or radiopaque materials for diagnostic imaging, biologically active molecules to be delivered to a site, or compounds for targeting the particles. Biodistribution experiments indicate that the injectable particles have a prolonged half-life in the blood compared to particles not containing poly(alkylene glycol) moieties on the surface.
Multiblock copolymers consisting essentially of a multifunctional compound selected from the group consisting of gluconic acid, tartaric acid, mucic acid, citric acid, benzene dicarboxylic acid, benzene tricarboxylic acid, benzene dicarcoxylic acid and butane diglycidyl ether covalently linked with one or more hydrophillic polymers and one or more hydrophic bioerodible polymers and including at least three polymer blocks.
A particle having a diameter of between 50 nm and 1000 .mu.m formed of or coated with a multiblock copolymer, consisting essentially of a multifunctional compound covalently linked with one or more hydrophilic polymers and one or more hydrophobic bioerodible polymers to form a coblock polymer including at least three polymer blocks, wherein the hydrophilic polymers are on the surface of the particle in an amount effective to decrease uptake of the particles by the reticuloendothelial system, comprising detectable molecules selected from the group consisting of substances detectable by x-ray, fluorescence, ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging and radioactivity.
A method for making a multiblock copolymer by covalently linking a multifunctional compound selected from the group consisting of gluconic acid, tartaric acid, mucic acid, citric acid, benzene dicarboxylic acid, benzene tricarboxylic acid, benzene tetracarboxylic acid and butane diglycidyl ether to one or more hydrophilic polymers and one or more hydrophobic bioerodible polymers, wherein the number of polymer blocks is at least three.
A method for imaging a patient comprising administering to the patient a particle having a diameter of between 50 nm and 100 .mu.m formed of or coated with a multiblock copolymer consisting essentially of a multifunctional compound with one or more hydrophilic polymers and one or more hydrophobic bioerodible polymers to form a block copolymer including at least three polymer block, wherein the hydrophilic polymers are on the surface of the particle in an amount effective to decrease uptake of the particles by the reticuloendothelial system, and the particles comprise detectable molecules selected from the group consisting of substances detectable by x-ray, fluorescence, ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging and radioactivity.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.