Abstract: Aziridines may be subjeted to a cyclooligomerization reaction to produce polyazacycloalkane compounds useful for example in the preparation of chelating agents for use in diagnostic imaging contrast agents. N-benzyl-aziridine in particular is useful as it can be cyclotetramerized and debenzylated to yield cyclen, a key intermediate in chelating agent preparation. The invention provides a particularly attractive route to production of N-benzyl and other N-arylmethyl aziridines of formula (I) where each R1 is independently hydrogen or a group AR and Ar is an optionally substituted phenyl group. The process comprises reacting a purified N-arylmethylethanolamine-sulphonate sulphonate ester with a base. N-aryimethyl-ethanolamine sulphonate ester of the formula R′NHCH2CH2OSO3H, wherein the N-arylmethyl group R′ is an N-(bisarylmethyl) or N-(triarylmethyl) group, as intermediates.

Abstract: Aziridines may be subjected to a cyclooligomerization reaction to produce polyazacycloalkane compounds useful for example in the preparation of chelating agents for use in diagnostic imaging contrast agents. N-benzyl-aziridine in particular is useful as it can be cyclotetramerized and debenzylated to yield cyclen, a key intermediate in chelating agent preparation. The invention provides a particularly attractive route to production of N-benzyl and other N-arylmethyl aziridines of formula (I) where each R.sub.1 is independently hydrogen or a group AR and Ar is an optionally substituted phenyl group. The process comprises reacting a purified N-arylmethylethanolaminesulphonate ester with a base. N-arylmethyl-ethanolamine sulphonate ester of the formula R'NHCH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 OSO.sub.3 H, wherein the N-arylmethyl group R' is an N-(bisarylmethyl) or N-(triarylmethyl) group, as intermediates. In a further aspect, the invention provides compounds of formula (II) ##STR1## where Ar and R.sub.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a liposomal agent comprising liposomes having bound to a membrane thereof a chelated diagnostically or therapeutically effective metal ion. The chelating agent binding the metal ion has a macrocyclic chelant moiety with, attached to a single ring atom thereof, a lipophilic membrane associating moiety.

Abstract: The invention provides a blood pool contrast agent having an overall molecular weight of at least 10KD comprising a macrostructure which has bound thereto a plurality of opsonization inhibiting moieties and carries chelated ionic paramagnetic or heavy metal moieties, the chelant groups for said chelated moieties being macrocyclic where said macrostructure is liposomal.

Abstract: The invention provides polychelant compounds which are useful for example in diagnostic imaging procedures and which are degradable in vivo to release excretable fragments. Such compounds conveniently are of the formula (I): R.sup.1 (X.sup.1 R.sup.2 ((X.sup.2).sub.p L).sub.n).sub.m (where X.sup.1 is a linker moiety metabolically cleavable to release R.sup.1 X.sup.3.sub.m and X.sup.4 R.sup.2 ((X.sup.2).sub.p L).sub.n fragments where X.sup.3 and X.sup.4 are the cleavage residues of X.sup.1 ; R.sup.1 X.sup.3.sub.m is a biotolerable polymer, preferably a substantially monodisperse polymer and especially one with a molecular weight below 40,000 D, particularly below 30,000 D and especially below 20,000 D, for example a first to sixth generation dendrimer; X.sup.4 R.sup.2 ((X.sup.2).sub.p L).sub.n is a polychelant fragment having a molecular weight below 40,000 D, preferably below 30,000 D, especially below 20,000 D, each such moiety preferably being the same; p is 0 or 1; X.sup.

Abstract: This invention relates to dichelants, in particular compounds having two macrocyclic chelant groups linked by a bridge containing an ester or amide bond, especially compounds of formula Vb ##STR1## (wherein each X which may be the same or different is NZ, O or S, at least two Xs being NZ;each Z is a group R.sup.1 or a group CR.sup.1.sub.2 Y, at least one Z, and preferably 2 or 3 Zs, on each macrocyclic ring being a group CR.sup.1.sub.2 Y;each Y is a group CO.sub.2 H, PO.sub.3 H, SO.sub.3 H, CONR.sup.1.sub.2, CON(OR.sup.1)R.sup.1, CNS or CONR.sup.1 NR.sup.1.sub.2, preferably COOH;m is 0 or 1 or 2, preferably 1; each n is 2 or 3, preferably 2; q is 1 or 2, preferably 1;each R.sup.

Abstract: The present invention provides a polychelant compound of formula (VII), (wherein each X which may be the same or different is NZ, O or S, at least two Xs being NZ; B is (CR.sup.1 Y) or --N(CR.sup.1.sub.2 Y)--; each Z is a group R.sup.1 or a group CR.sup.1.sub.2 Y, at least one Z being a group CR.sup.1.sub.2 Y; each Y is a group CO.sub.2 H, PO.sub.3 H, SO.sub.3 H, CONR.sup.1.sub.2, CON(OR.sup.1)R.sup.1, CNS or CONR.sup.1 NR.sup.1.sub.2 ; m is 0 or 1 or 2; each n is 2 or 3; q is 0 or 1 when B is (CR.sup.1 Y) and 2 when B is N(CR.sup.1.sub.2 Y); p is an integer having a value of at least 2; each R.sup.1 which may be the same or different is a hydrogen atom or an alkyl, aryl or aralkyl group optionally substituted by one or more hydroxy or alkoxy groups, or two R.sup.1 groups on ring atoms or in Z groups together represent a linker group L; each L which may be the same or different represents a bond or an organic linker group having a molecular weight of less than 1000 and salts and chelates thereof.

Abstract: An x-ray contrast medium containing a multinuclear complex of the formula (M.sub.6 (.mu..sub.3 B).sub.8 A.sub.v).sub.x L.sub.w, wherein M is Mo, W, Re Tc, V, Nb, Ta, Ru, or Fe; .mu..sub.3 B represent a tridentate bridging atom; A is a non-bridging atom; L is a ligand coordinately bonded to at least one M atom; x is a positive integer; and v and w are independently zero or positive integers.

Abstract: A process for the preparation of multinuclear cluster compounds by reacting a metal carbonyl with iodine, and use of these clusters and clusters derived from them, in diagnostic imaging. Novel multinuclear cluster compounds are also disclosed.

Abstract: The invention provides a dendrimeric compound comprising a dendrimeric bioactive moiety with linked thereto a plurality of diagnostically or therapeutically active moieties characterized in that the molecular skeleton of said compound contains at least one biodegradable cleavage site such that on cleavage thereof said active moieties are released in renally excretable form.

Abstract: Compounds of formula (I)?M.sub.6 Q.sub.8 B.sub.n L.sub.6-n !.sup.xwhere M is Re or Rh;each Q is a bridging atom selected from O, S, Se and Te;B is a monovalent non-bridging atom or moiety;L is a PR.sub.3 group in which R is C.sub.1-6 alkyl or aryl, optionally substituted on the alkyl or aryl group by one or more water-solubilizing groups such as an amine or hydroxidy group, or the three R groups together form a C.sub.6-10 trivalent group which may also contain up to three nitrogen or oxygen atoms;n is an integer from 0 to 6;and x is an integer from -2 to +4, representing the overall charge of the cluster, which when non-zero is accompanied by one or more counter ions of equal and balancing charge, and contrast media, particularly X-ray contrast media, containing them.

Abstract: The invention provides amphiphilic compounds of the formula (I) Ch--(--L--Ar--(--AH).sub.n).sub.m (where Ch is a hydrophilic chelant moiety or a salt or a chelate thereof); each L is an optionally oxo substituted C.sub.2-25 -alkylene linker wherein at least one CH.sub.2 moiety is replaced by a group X.sup.1 (e.g. L may include a chain sequence, an X.sup.1 (CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 X.sup.1).sub.u (where u is a positive integer) such as X.sup.1 (CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 X.sup.1).sub.u, CH.sub.2 X.sup.1 CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 X.sup.1 CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 X.sup.1, CH.sub.2 X.sup.1 CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 X.sup.1 CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 X.sup.1 CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 X.sup.1, etc.), and wherein L is optionally interrupted by a metabolizable group M but with the provisos that the terminus of L adjacent Ch is CH.sub.2 and that the terminus of L adjacent Ar is X.sup.1 or a CH.sub.2 group adjacent or separated by one CH.sub.2 from a group X.sup.1 (thus, for example the L--Ar linkage may be L.sup.1 --X.sup.1 --Ar, L.sup.1 --CH.sub.2 --Ar, L.sup.1 --X.sup.

Abstract: A process for the preparation of multinuclear cluster compounds by reacting a metal carbonyl with iodine, and use of these clusters and clusters derived from them, in diagnostic imaging. Novel multinuclear cluster compounds are also disclosed.

Abstract: Compounds including tight molecular meshes, preferably curved in one or two directions, such as fullerenes and met-cars, can be used as carriers for diagnostic or therapeutic agents, especially diagnostic contrast agents.

Abstract: The invention relates to the use as contrast enhancing agents in medical imaging, especially X-ray imaging, of multinuclear complexes, i.e. complexes, such as those of W202 (U20) 2, in which the complexed entity comprises at least two contrast enhancing atoms.

Abstract: Macrocyclic chelating agents, optionally possessing more than one macrocyclic ring having at least two peptide linkages within the macrocyclic skeleton. The chelating agents are used for the preparation of paramagnetic metal chelates for use as MRI contrast agents.

Abstract: There are provided polychelants and their metal chelates which are useful in diagnostic imaging and in radiotherapy and which comprise a plurality of macrocyclic chelant moieties, e.g. DOTA residues, conjugated to a polyamine backbone molecule, e.g. polylysine. To produce a site-specific polychelate, one or more of the macrocyclic chelant carrying backbone molecules may be conjugated to a site-directed macromolecule, e.g. a protein. For example, adducts of a macrocyclic chelant can be formed by the process of (a) dispersing a carboxylic macrocyclic chelant in a polar, anhydrous solvent, (b) adding a base with a pKa sufficient to remove all carboxyl protons to create an amine salt of the chelant soluble in the solvent, (c) chilling the reaction mixture to between about 5.degree. C. and 55.degree. C.

Abstract: An imaging contrast medium comprising a physiologically tolerable multinuclear complex (as defined in claim 1) is disclosed. The multinuclear complex contains at least two, but preferably three or more contrast enhancing atoms. For X-ray or ultrasound imaging techniques heavy metal atoms are used to enhance contrast, whereas in Magnetic Resonance Imaging paramagnetic metal atoms are contrast enhancing. Molybdenum and tungsten are preferred contrast enhancing atoms. The medium may also be used therapeutically.

Abstract: The invention relates to the use as contrast enhancing agents in medical imaging, especially X-ray imaging, of multinuclear complexes, i.e. complexes, such as those of W2O2 (u2O)2, in which the complexed entity comprises at least two contrast enhancing atoms.

Abstract: There are disclosed polychelant compounds, that is multi-site metal chelating agents, and chelates formed therewith. The polychelants and especially their paramagnetic metal, heavy metal or radioactive metal polychelates are particularly suitable for use in diagnostic imaging, heavy metal detoxification or radiotherapy. The polychelants have a linear or branched oligomeric structure comprising alternating chelant and linker moieties bound together by amide or ester moieties the carbonyl groups whereof being adjacent the chelant moieties, each polychelant comprising at least two said chelant moieties capable of complexing a metal ion.