Biomolecule-polymer conjugates for diagnostic applications

Antibodies are biomolecules that recognize and bind to specific receptors on the cell's surface. This specificity extends their usage for targeted therapeutic and diagnostic applications. While antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) have gained worldwide popularity, antibody-polymer conjugates (APCs) are relatively unexplored. This thesis proposes strategies for obtaining antibody-polymer conjugates for usage in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), a non-invasive imaging method that has several advantages, such as providing high resolution for soft tissue imaging and lack of ionizing radiation, resulting in safety imaging techniques compared to other imaging techniques. APCs can be combined with MRI contrast agents; therefore, conjugates target specific tissue, increasing the signal in that tissue, resulting in targeted high-contrast imaging. As a result, the targeting ability of APCs offers early cancer detection, improved diagnoses, and theranostic strategies. In this thesis, a novel APC based on trastuzumab (Tmab) and poly (ethylene glycol) contrast agents are designed for MRI. Polymers are conjugated to the antibody using a biodegradable linker. The overall aim of synthesizing targeted and bioavailable contrast agents is realized.