Boc-HyNic-PEG-Mal

Boc-HyNic-PEG-Mal is a versatile chemical compound that has gained popularity in drug research and development due to its unique functional groups. This compound is a derivative of polyethylene glycol (PEG) that has been modified with two functional groups, the Boc-HyNic group and the maleimide (Mal) group.

The Boc-HyNic group is a protecting group that shields the amino group of lysine residues in peptides or proteins. This allows for the selective labeling or conjugation of specific lysine residues with the maleimide group, which reacts specifically with thiol groups present in cysteine residues. This selective labeling technique has found applications in drug research and development, particularly in the development of antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) and protein-based therapeutics.

ADCs are a class of drugs that use antibodies to specifically target cancer cells, while the attached drug component delivers a toxic payload to kill the cancer cells. Boc-HyNic-PEG-Mal can be used in the preparation of ADCs by selectively labeling lysine residues in antibodies with the maleimide group, and then conjugating the drug component to the cysteine residues. This allows for the development of highly targeted and potent cancer therapies with fewer off-target effects.