Anti‐ PEG immunity: emergence, characteristics, and unaddressed questions

The modification of protein and nanoparticle therapeutics with polyethylene glycol ( PEG ), a flexible, uncharged, and highly hydrophilic polymer, is a widely adopted approach to reduce RES clearance, extend circulation time, and improve drug efficacy. Nevertheless, an emerging body of literature, generated by numerous research groups, demonstrates that the immune system can produce antibodies that specifically bind PEG , which can lead to the ‘accelerated blood clearance’ of PEGylated therapeutics. In animals, anti‐ PEG immunity is typically robust but short‐lived and consists of a predominantly anti‐ PEG IgM response. Rodent studies suggest that the induction of anti‐ PEG antibodies (α‐ PEG Abs) primarily…

• DA
  David and Lucile Packard Foundation

  Award: 2013-39274
• NI
  National Institutes of Health

  Award: R21EB017938