Description
General Description
4-Arm PLGA-Mal is a multifunctional biodegradable polyester designed for advanced drug delivery and biomedical applications. The polymer consists of four PLGA chains radiating from a central core, with each arm terminating in a reactive maleimide group.
The maleimide functionalities readily react with sulfhydryl-containing molecules under mild conditions to form stable thioether linkages. This enables efficient conjugation of peptides, proteins, antibodies, aptamers, targeting ligands, and other thiol-containing biomolecules. Compared with linear PLGA derivatives, the multi-arm architecture provides significantly higher functional group density, allowing efficient preparation of multifunctional nanoparticles and targeted delivery systems.
Upon hydrolysis, the polymer degrades into lactic acid and glycolic acid, making it suitable for biodegradable pharmaceutical and biomedical applications.
Applications
- Drug delivery systems
- Polymeric nanoparticles
- Targeted drug delivery
- Peptide conjugation
- Antibody conjugation
- Protein conjugation
- Thiol-mediated bioconjugation
- Hydrogel formation
- Surface modification
- Nanomedicine research
Features and Benefits
- Star-shaped PLGA architecture
- Multiple terminal maleimide groups
- Higher functional group density than linear PLGA
- Selective thiol conjugation chemistry
- Biodegradable and biocompatible
- Enhanced drug loading capability
- Suitable for nanoparticle and hydrogel fabrication
- Available in multiple molecular weights and PLGA ratios
