Patent ID: 8540967

Claim:
A method of imaging a tumor comprising: a) administering a sufficient amount of a porphyrazine for visualization to a mammal suspected of having a tumor; and b) imaging the porphyrazine in the mammal, wherein the porphyrazine has a structure M[ pz (A n ;B 4-n )] wherein pz is M is 2H or a metal ion capable of complexing with pyrrole nitrogen atoms; n is 1-3; A is (—N(R 1 ) 2 ) 2 , (—OR 1 ) 2 , or (—SR 1 ) 2 ; B is a benzo ring fused on the pz, substituted with one or more —XR 2 , group, wherein X is O or S; R 1 , independently, and R 2 , independently, are selected from the group consisting of C 1-6 alkyl optionally substituted with OH, OR 3 , N(R 3 ) 2 , CO 2 R 3 , or CON(R 3 ) 2 , C 3-6 cycloalkyl optionally substituted with OH, OR 3 , N(R 3 ) 2 , CO 2 R 3 , or CON(R 3 ) 2 , (CH 2 ) 1-3 C 3-6 cycloalkyl optionally substituted with OH, OR 3 , N(R 3 ) 2 , CO 2 R 3 , or CON(R 3 ) 2 , (CH 2 ) 1-6 C 6 H 5 , optionally substituted with OH, OR 3 , N(R 3 ) 2 , CO 2 R 3 , or CON(R 3 ) 2 , wherein each R 3 , independently is H, C 1-6 alkyl, C 3-6 cycloalkyl, or (CH 2 ) 1-3 C 3-6 cycloalkyl; p is 0-10; E G L wherein at least one of the E, G, and L is and or two R 1 , groups can be taken together to form a 5- or 6- membered ring, and the porphyrazine localizes at a tumor in the mammal, and the porphyrazine comprises one to eight Gd chelates and the imaging is selected from the group consisting of optical imaging, visible or NIR imaging, PET imaging, nuclear imaging, and MR imaging.