The invention is based on the realisation that inflamed plaques in blood vessel walls, which are potentially vulnerable to rupture, can be detected at elevated temperatures which are lower than previously realised. In particular, the low temperatures at which inflamed plaque can be detected are often associated with systems in which blood flow is generally close to normal in particular temperature differences above zero but not more than 0.39.degree. C. have been found to be indicative of the pr...

Diagnostic and therapeutic compositions in the form of complexes for enhancing transmembrane transport of a diagnostic or therapeutic agent and methods for their use. The complexes contain the .alpha., .gamma., or bis isomers of folate receptor-binding analogs of folate, a metal chelated by a ligand, and in one embodiment, a chemotherapeutic agent.

Emulsions preferably of nanoparticles formed from high boiling liquid perfluorochemical substances, said particles coated with a lipid/surfactant coating are made specific to regions of activated endothelial cells by coupling said nanoparticles to a ligand specific for .alpha..sub.v.beta..sub.3 integrin, other than an antibody. The nanoparticles may further include biologically active agents, radionuclides, or other imaging agents.

A gas emulsion forming composition comprising a dry, hollow, particulate, approximately microspherical material permeated with a gas or gas mixture, which upon dissolution in aqueous liquid forms a gas emulsion comprising a plurality of bubbles surrounded by a layer of at least a first and a second surfactant, wherein the first surfactant consists essentially of a phospholipid or mixture of phospholipids having at least one acyl chain which comprises at least 10 carbon atoms, and comprising at l...

Iodinated and/or brominated derivatives of aromatic dihydroxy monomers are prepared and polymerized to form radio-opaque polymers. The monomers may also be copolymerized with other dihydroxy monomers. The iodinated and brominated aromatic dihydroxy monomers can be employed as radio-opacifying, biocompatible non-toxic additives for other polymeric biomaterials. Radio-opaque medical implants and drug delivery devices for implantation prepared from the polymers of the present invention are also dis...

Radiopharmaceutical compounds are disclosed having a radionuclide chelating moiety and a targeting ligand, and optionally a linker. Formulations of compositions useful for making the radiopharmaceutical compounds contain a chelating ligand, a reducing agent, an exchange ligand and a stabilizer.

The present application discloses compositions and methods of synthesis and use of F-18 labeled molecules of use, for example, in PET imaging techniques. In particular embodiments, the labeled molecules may be peptides or proteins, although other types of molecules including but not limited to aptamers, oligonucleotides and nucleic acids may be labeled and utilized for such imaging studies. In preferred embodiments, the F-18 label may be conjugated to a targeting molecule by formation of a metal...

A method of diagnosing attention deficient-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in a human patient by assessing the level of dopamine transporter in at least one region of the patient's central nervous system, where an elevated level of dopamine transporter in the patient is indicative of ADHD. In embodiments of the invention, assessment of dopamine transporter levels includes assessing binding of a dopamine transporter ligand to the dopamine transporters using PET or SPECT.

A method of screening for pulmonary embolism uses gaseous phase polarized .sup.129Xe which is injected directly into the vasculature of a subject. The gaseous .sup.129Xe can be delivered in a controlled manner such that the gas substantially dissolves into the vasculature proximate to the injection site. Alternatively, the gas can be injected such that it remains as a gas in the bloodstream for a period of time (such as about 8-29 seconds). The injectable formulation of polarized .sup.129Xe gas ...

Highly hydrophilic indole and benzoindole derivatives that absorb and fluoresce in the visible region of light are disclosed. These compounds are useful for physiological and organ function monitoring. Particularly, the molecules of the invention are useful for optical diagnosis of renal and cardiac diseases and for estimation of blood volume in vivo.