Activated PEG derivatives can be used to modify peptides, proteins, or in other bioconjugation applications. PEGylated materials have found broad use in drug delivery systems, virology, and immunology, as the incorporation of PEG improves pharmacological properties such as increased water solubility, enhanced resistance to degradation (protein hydrolysis), increased circulation half-life, and reduced antigenicity. In addition to PEGylation, activated PEG derivatives can also be used to form networks for tissue engineering or drug delivery applications, depending on the architecture and reactivity.
