Patent ID: 7413538
Filing Date: 2008-08-19
Classification: A61K,C07K,G01N

Abstract:
1. Isolated micelles, comprising: a plurality of conjugate molecules non-covalently associating with one another to form the micelles, each conjugate molecule comprising a head group molecule conjugated to a hydrophobic tail group molecule, optionally via a spacer molecule, a surface formed by the head group molecules, which surface comprises a plurality of distinct non-covalent associations of the head group molecules, and a hydrophobic core formed by the hydrophobic tail group molecules, wherein the head group molecules in the non-covalent associations change configuration through the movement of the head group molecules on or along the surface, and the movement of the head group molecules is facilitated by the movement of the conjugate molecules in the micelle, and a distinct non-covalent association of the head group molecules forms an epitope, which has higher affinity to a ligand than each of the head groups of the conjugates individually does.