Pegylated Lipids

PEG is usually conjugated to lipid molecules with covalent bond and mixes with other lipids to form lipid-based nanoparticles. PEG groups serve many purposes: they reduce particle size, prevent aggregation during storage, increase circulation time and reduce uptake by unintended targets such as red blood cells and macrophages. However, the increased proportion of PEG on the surface of the lipid-based nanoparticles may reduce the mechanical stability and induce the dissociation.