Importance

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Abstract

Methods of detecting and/or treating lesions in a patient are provided. The methods are an improvement over known methods comprising the steps of (a) parenterally injecting a subject with a targeting composition comprised of a biotin-protein conjugate or an avidin-protein conjugate, wherein the protein preferentially binds to a marker substance produced or associated with the targeted lesion, and allowing the protein conjugate to preferentially accrete at the targeted lesion; (b) then parenterally injecting a clearing composition comprised of (i) avidin, when the targeting composition is a biotin-protein conjugate, or (ii) biotin, when the targeting composition is a avidin-protein conjugate, and allowing the clearing composition to substantially clear the targeting composition from non-targeted sites and to bind to the targeting composition accreted at the targeted lesion; and (c) parenterally injecting a detection or therapeutic composition comprised of a conjugate of (i) avidin and detection or therapeutic agent when the clearing composition is biotin, or (ii) biotin and detection or therapeutic agent when the clearing agent is avidin, and allowing the composition to accrete at the targeted lesion. The improvement is having at least one of the compositions of step (a) or (b) further comprise a polymer to which multiple moieties of avidin or biotin can conjugate, thereby providing an increased number of binding sites to which a subsequently administrated composition can bind thereby amplifying the amount of detection or therapeutic agent at the targeted site.

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First Claim