Novel methods of synthesis of ethylenedicysteine-sugar conjugates and therapeutic and diagnostic applications of such conjugates are disclosed. Methods of synthesizing these conjugates in high purity are also presented as using starting materials such as thiazolidine carboxylic acid. Also disclosed are methods of imaging, treating and diagnosing disease in a subject using these conjugates prepared herein, such as methods of imaging a tumor within a subject and methods of diagnosing myocardial ischemia.
