Biopharma PEG Provides Multi-arm PEG Derivatives Crosslinked Into Hydrogels

Polyethylene (ethylene glycol) is a hydrophilic polymer that can have a very high water content when cross-linked into a network. Polyethylene glycol (PEG) is a suitable material for biological applications because it does not normally elicit an immune response. Since the 1970s, PEG has been used to modify therapeutic proteins and peptides in order to increase their solubility, reduce their toxicity, and prolong their cyclic half-lives. In the late 1970s, researchers began to experiment with PEG hydrogels for cell cultures. PEG hydrogels are chemically well-defined, and multiple chemistries can be used both for their formation and chemical modification.

PEG is readily synthesized by the living anionic ring-opening polymerization of ethylene oxide; well-defined (low polydispersity) PEGs with a range of molecular weights and a variety of end groups (e.g., alcohol, methyl ether, amine, N-hydroxysuccinimidyl (NHS) ester) are widely available.

In order to form hydrogels, PEG must be cross-linked. Initially, PEG was nonspecifically cross-linked using ionizing radiation. PEG hydrogels are now commonly synthesized by covalent cross-linking of PEG macromers with reactive chain ends.

At present, PEG has been widely used as hydrogels, and it is expected that future application prospects will also be quite broad. Biopharma PEG provides high-quality activated multi-arm PEG derivatives including 4-arm and 8-arm PEG products as following with special structures which can be crosslinked into degradable PEG hydrogels.

4-ArmPEG succinimidyl glutarate (4-ArmPEG-SG) are high quality multi-arm PEG derivatives with succinimidyl ester at each terminal of the four arms, which can be crosslinked into degradable PEG hydrogels. PEG hydrogels have a variety of applications in medical devices and regenerative medicine, and are especially of interest for controlled release of drugs, for 2D and 3D cell culture, and for wound sealing and healing.

4-ArmPEG succinimidyl succinate (4-arm PEG-SS) is a high-quality multi-arm PEG derivative with succinimidyl succinate at each terminal of the four arms connected to one pentaerythritol core. It can be crosslinked into degradable PEG hydrogels, which can be used in medical devices and regenerative medicine, and are especially of interest for controlled release of drugs, for 2D and 3D cell culture, and for wound sealing and healing. 4-arm PEG-SS is available with molecular weights of 2K, 5K, 10K, 20K Da. Other MW may be available by custom synthesis.

8-ArmPEG-Succinimidyl Glutarate ester (8-ArmPEG-SG) is a multiarmed PEG derivative with succinimidyl NHS ester groups at each terminal of the eight arms connected to one hexaglycerol core, which can be crosslinked into degradable PEG hydrogels. PEG hydrogels have a variety of applications in medical devices and regenerative medicine, and are especially of interest for controlled release of drugs, for 2D and 3D cell culture, and for wound sealing and healing.  PEG-SG (succinimidyl glutarate ester) is one type of PEG-NHS reagents. There is a C4 hydrocarbon ester linkage between PEG and the NHS ester.

8 Arm PEG Succinimidyl Succinate (8-armPEG-SS) derivatives can be cross-linked into degradable PEG hydrogels. It is a cleavable PEG linker. The cleavable ester linker between PEG and NHS ester enables the feature of degradable hydrogels, which can be used in medical devices and regenerative medicine, and are especially of interest for controlled release of drugs, for 2D and 3D cell culture, and for wound sealing and healing. 8-arm PEG-SS is available with molecular weights of 2K, 5K, 10K, 20K Da. Other MW may be available by custom synthesis.