HETEROFUNCTIONAL SEGMENT-POLY (ETHYLENE GLYCOL) POLYMERS AS DELIVERY VEHICLES

摘要

Heterofunctional segment-poly(ethylene glycol) polymers, conjugates of these molecules with therapeutic and/or imaging agents, and methods for their use are disclosed. The heterofunctional segment-poly(ethylene glycol) polymers are useful as drug delivery conjugates, i.e., the heterofunctional segment-poly(ethylene glycol) polymers can be covalently attached to therapeutic agents (e.g., pharmaceutically active agents) and serve as delivery vehicles for the therapeutic agents. The heterofunctional segment-poly(ethylene glycol) polymers are also useful as imaging agent conjugates, i.e. the heterofunctional segment-poly(ethylene glycol) polymers can be covalently attached to imaging agents (e.g., tracers, imaging atoms, and imaging molecules) and serve as delivery vehicles for the imaging agents. Also disclosed are methods for treating a subject by administering to the subject an effective amount of the polymers conjugated to a therapeutic agent, an imaging agent, or a mixture thereof.