Amphiphilic polymers and methods of use thereof

Abstract

The present invention relates to amphiphilic polymers, and micelles and compositions comprising the same, and their use in a variety of biological settings, including imaging, targeting drugs, or a combination thereof for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes.

1 - 166 . (canceled) 
     
     
         167 . A method of imaging a cell, the method comprising contacting a cell with an amphiphilic polymer characterized by the structure of the general formula I: 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
         wherein 
         R is a hydroxyl, O-alkyl, O-Acyl, O-Activating group, SH, S-alkyl, or an acid activating group including halogen, O-vinyl, O-allyl, O-aryl, OCOalkyl, OCOaryl, OCH 2 CF 3 , NH 2 , a fluorochrome, an indole-containing compound, an antibody or antibody fragment, a peptide, an oligonucleotide, a drug, a ligand for a biological target, an immunoconjugate, a chemomimetic functional group, a glycolipid, a labelling agent, an enzyme, a metal ion chelate, an enzyme cofactor, a cytotoxic compound, a growth factor, a hormone, a cytokine, a toxin, a prodrug, an antimetabolite, a microtubule inhibitor, a radioactive material, a targeting moiety; 
         R′ is OH, NH 2 , SH; 
         each R 1  group is, independently, H, 
       
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
       a fluorochrome, an indole-containing compound, an antibody or antibody fragment, a peptide, an oligonucleotide, a drug, a ligand for a biological target, an immunoconjugate, a chemomimetic functional group, a glycolipid, a labelling agent, an enzyme, a metal ion chelate, an enzyme cofactor, a cytotoxic compound, a growth factor, a hormone, a cytokine, a toxin, a prodrug, an antimetabolite, a microtubule inhibitor, a radioactive material, a perfluorocarbon, a perfluorocarbon-R 4 , a perfluorocarbon-OR 4 , 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
         each R 2  group is, independently, a fluorochrome, an indole-containing compound, an antibody or antibody fragment, a peptide, an oligonucleotide, a drug, a ligand for a biological target, an immunoconjugate, a chemomimetic functional group, a glycolipid, a labelling agent, an enzyme, a metal ion chelate, an enzyme cofactor, a cytotoxic compound, a growth factor, a hormone, a cytokine, a toxin, a prodrug, an antimetabolite, a microtubule inhibitor, a radioactive material, a perfluorocarbon, a perfluorocarbon-R 4 , 
         a perfluorocarbon-OR 4 , 
       
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
         each R 3  group is, independently, 
       
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
       a hydrogen, a hydroxyl, O-alkyl, SH, S-alkyl, or an acid activating group including halogen, O-vinyl, O-allyl, O-aryl, OCOalkyl, OCOaryl, OCH 2 CF 3 , NH 2 , a fluorochrome, an indole-containing compound, an antibody or antibody fragment, a peptide, an oligonucleotide, a drug, a ligand for a biological target, an immunoconjugate, a chemomimetic functional group, a glycolipid, a labelling agent, an enzyme, a metal ion chelate, an enzyme cofactor, a cytotoxic compound, a growth factor, a hormone, a cytokine, a toxin, a prodrug, an antimetabolite, a microtubule inhibitor, a radioactive material, a targeting moiety;
 each R 4  group is, independently, an alkyl group, an alkylene group, a carboxylate group, a carboxylic acid group, an amino group, an ammonium group, an alkoxyl group, a hydroxyl group or another nitrogen, oxygen or sulfur-containing group; 
 each A group is, independently, O, NH, S, a fluorochrome, 
 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
       an indole-containing compound, an antibody or antibody fragment, a peptide, an oligonucleotide, a drug, a ligand for a biological target, an immunoconjugate, a chemomimetic functional group, a glycolipid, a labeling agent, an enzyme, a metal ion chelate, an enzyme cofactor, a cytotoxic compound, a growth factor, a hormone, a cytokine, a toxin, a prodrug, an antimetabolite, a microtubule inhibitor, a radioactive material, a targeting moiety, an acyl group, an aryl group, a linear or branched alkenyl group, a linear or branched alkyl group, wherein said alkyl, alkenyl or aryl group is substituted with a perfluorocarbon, perfluorocarbon-R 4 , perfluorocarbon-OR 4 , perfluorocarbon-OR 4 , or 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
         n, m, p, p′ and x are integers; and 
         q is an integer between 0-10, wherein the amphiphilic polymer further comprises a targeting agent, 
         the method further comprising imaging said cell, whereby said polymer enables the imaging of said cell.