abstract |
Systems and methods for diagnosing and/or treating diseases as well as monitoring disease treatment. For diagnosis, the present invention uses nanoparticle-based assemblies, which comprise a nanoparticle; a surrogate marker; and a means for detecting a specific chemical entity. In certain embodiments, nanoparticle-based assemblies include a payload for simultaneous diagnosis and treatment of disease. In further embodiments, a therapeutic drug and therapeutic drug marker are administered to a patient to monitor disease treatment. Bodily fluid samples are analyzed using sensor technology to detect the presence of surrogate and/or therapeutic drug markers to provide an efficient and accurate means for diagnosing a disease and/or monitoring disease treatment. |