Physico-Chemical and Pharmacokinetic Studies of Avidin Bioconjugates with ThermosensitivePolymers

摘要

Pharmacological and pharmacokinetic studies intopolymer-protein conjugates are reported. Thethermoresponsive co-polymer N-isopropylacrylamide-coacrylamide(M.w. 6000 Da) with a Lower CriticalSolution Temperature (LCST) of 37°C, was activated andconjugated to avidin. Gel permeation analysisdemonstrated that the polymer conjugation markedlymodified the protein hydrodynamic volume. Thebioconjugate displayed a higher LCST as compared to theoriginal polymer. The polymer conjugation alteredslightly the protein tertiary structure and the binding withboth biotin and bionylated antibodies. Pharmacokineticstudies demonstrated that the conjugate exhibited longerretention in the blood stream as compared to the nativeprotein.