Polymeric nanoparticles for ultrasound imaging and therapy

1. A nanobubble comprising an amphiphilic ABC triblock copolymer, wherein:

block A comprises a hydrophilic polymer,

block B comprises a crosslinking polymer, and

block C comprises a hydrophobic copolymer comprising

methyl methacrylate (MMA) and

a fluorinated monomer,

wherein the fluorinated monomer is present in the hydrophobic copolymer of block C at 25 mole percent or less, wherein the hydrophobic copolymer has a number average molecular weight of about 3 kDa to about 12.5 kDa,

or a nanobubble produced from micellization of the amphiphillic ABC triblock copolymer.

2. The nanobubble of claim 1 , wherein the hydrophilic polymer of block A (a) comprises an amphiphilic group selected from the group consisting of: ethylene oxide, carboxylic acid, hydroxyl, and a quaternized amine group, optionally, wherein the hydrophilic polymer of block A is selected from the group consisting of: polyethylene glycol (PEG), poly(trimethyl ethyl methacrylate), poly(acrylic acid), and poly (N-2-hydroxy propyl)methacrylamide (PHPMA), and/or (c) has a number average molecular weight of about 1 kDa to about 6 kDa or about 1 kDa to about 5 kDa or about 2 kDa or 5 kDa, (b) has a number average molecular weight of about 1 kDa to about 6 kDa, optionally, about 1 kDa to about 5 kDa or about 2 kDa or 5 kDa.

3. The nanobubble of claim 1 , wherein the crosslinking polymer of block B is polyacrylic acid (PAA), poly(hydroxyl ethyl acrylate) (PHEA), or polypentafluoropheyl acrylate (PPFPA), optionally, wherein the crosslinking polymer has a number average molecular weight of about 1 kDa to about 5 kDa or about 0.5 kDa to about 3 kDa.

4. The nanobubble of claim 1 , wherein the fluorinated monomer comprises a fluorinated alkyl chain or a fluorinated lipid chain, optionally, wherein (a) the fluorinated alkyl chain comprises a chain of n carbon atoms, wherein n is 8 to 20, and wherein up to m carbon atoms are completely fluorinated, wherein m=n−2 or (b) the number of fluorine atoms per unit of hydrophobic copolymer is between about 60 and about 255.

5. The nanobubble of claim 1 , wherein the fluorinated monomer is hexadecafluorodecylmethacrylate (HDFMA), 3,3,4,4,5,5,6,6,7,7,8,8,9,9,10,10,10-Heptadecafluorodecyl methacrylate, 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorooctyl methacrylate, or 2,2,2-Trifluoroethyl methacrylate, optionally, wherein the fluorinated monomer is HDFMA and the block C comprises a hydrophobic random copolymer comprising MMA and HDFMA.

6. The nanobubble of claim 1 , wherein the hydrophilic polymer of block A is PEG, the crosslinking polymer of block B is PAA, and the hydrophobic copolymer of block C is a hydrophobic random copolymer comprising MMA and HDFMA, optionally, wherein the amphiphilic ABC triblock copolymer has a number average molecular weight of about 6.7 kDa to about 19.1 kDa.

7. The nanobubble of claim 1 , wherein a targeting ligand is attached to a tip of the hydrophilic polymer of block A, optionally, wherein (a) at least 10% of the hydrophilic polymer of block A is attached at its tip to a targeting ligand, (b) the targeting ligand is a cancer cell-targeting ligand, and/or (c) the targeting ligand is an aptamer or an antibody, or an antigen binding fragment thereof.

8. The nanobubble of claim 1 comprising a hydrophilic brush, a shell, and a core, wherein the hydrophilic brush comprises block A of the triblock copolymer, shell comprises block B of the triblock copolymer and the core comprises block C of the triblock copolymer, optionally, wherein the shell is cross-linked.

9. The nanobubble of claim 1 , comprising a core comprising an ultrasound contrast agent, optionally, wherein the ultrasound contrast agent (a) has a boiling point which is greater than about 25° C., (b) is selected from the group consisting of: perfluorocarbon (PFC), perfluoropentane (PFP), perfluoropropane, perfluorobutane, and perfluorohexane, and/or (c) is present in the nanobubble at a loaded % between about 0.5% and about 3%.

10. The nanobubble of claim 1 , comprising a core coated with an oil, optionally, wherein the oil comprises a therapeutic agent.

11. The nanobubble of claim 1 , wherein the nanobubble (i) has an average diameter less than 700 nm at about 37° C., (ii) is toxic to not more than 10% of a population of cells when incubated with the population of cells in an MTT assay, in the absence of ultrasound pulses, and/or (iii) undergoes cavitation when exposed to ultrasound pulses with peak negative pressures of 7 MPa to 25 MPa.

12. A method of treating cancer in a subject, comprising the steps of administering to the subject a nanobubble of claim 1 and ultrasound, in an amount effective to treat the cancer in the subject.

13. A method of determining the presence of a cancer cell in a subject, comprising the steps of administering to the subject (i) a nanobubble of claim 1 , wherein the nanobubble comprises (a) a cancer cell-targeting ligand which binds to a marker of the cancer cell and (b) an ultrasound contrast agent, and (ii) ultrasound.

14. A nanobubble of claim 1 , comprising an ultrasound contrast agent, a targeting ligand, a therapeutic agent, or a combination thereof.

15. A kit comprising a nanobubble of claim 1 , optionally, comprising a source of ultrasound.

16. A pharmaceutical composition comprising a nanobubble of claim 1 , and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.