Small flexible structure for targeted delivery of therapeutic and imaging moieties in precision medicine

Abstract

The goals of precision medicine are to link diagnostic and therapeutic agents, improve clinical outcomes, and minimize side effects. We present a simple, small, flexible three-armed core structure that can be conjugated to targeting, imaging, and therapeutic moieties. The targeting molecule can be a peptide, protein, or chemical compound. The diagnostic reporter can be optical and/or nuclear in nature, and can be replaced by chemo- and/or radiotherapeutic compounds for treatment using a single targeting molecule. Imaging components can be used to detect disease biomarkers, monitor treatment response, and guide surgery in real-time to create a tumor-free margin. Isotope impurity can be exploited to visualize whole-body distribution of therapeutic agents. The one-to-one ratio of targeting component to therapeutic agents facilitates dose calculation. The simple synthesis and flexible, modular nature of the agent facilitate high-purity, large-scale production. The core capacity to “seek, treat, and see” may advance precision medicine in the future.