Precision Conjugation: An Emerging Tool for Generating Protein–Polymer Conjugates

Protein–polymer conjugates are increasingly being applied in biomedicine because of the unique combination of the biological activity of the proteins and the multifunctionality and flexibility of the polymers. However, traditional protein–polymer conjugation techniques suffer from some unavoidable d...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Angewandte Chemie International Edition 2021-05, Vol.60 (20), p.11024-11035
Main Authors: Liu, Xinyu, Gao, Weiping
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biological activity
Conjugates
Conjugation
controlled polymerization
intrinsically disordered polypeptides
Polymers
Polypeptides
precision conjugation
Protein structure
Proteins
protein–polymer conjugates
site-specific modification
Stability
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Summary:Protein–polymer conjugates are increasingly being applied in biomedicine because of the unique combination of the biological activity of the proteins and the multifunctionality and flexibility of the polymers. However, traditional protein–polymer conjugation techniques suffer from some unavoidable drawbacks, including nonspecificity and low efficiency. In this Minireview, we discuss a new approach based on “precision conjugation” for the construction of the next‐generation protein–polymer conjugates in a more controlled, more efficient, and tailorable fashion for a broad range of advanced applications. In illustrating the concept, we highlight two general methods: site‐specific in situ growth and intrinsically disordered polypeptide fusion, with a focus on the in situ, efficient, and controllable formation of protein–polymer conjugates. At the end, the challenges associated with this emerging concept are further discussed. Precision conjugation to resolve the nonspecificity and low‐efficiency problems associated with traditional protein–polymer conjugation techniques such as PEGylation is the focus of this Minireview. Site‐specific in situ growth (SIG) and intrinsically disordered polypeptide fusion (IPF) are discussed as two representative grafting‐from methods for the development of next‐generation protein–polymer conjugates.
ISSN:1433-7851
1521-3773
DOI:10.1002/anie.202003708