Facile Construction of Multifunctional Nanocarriers Using Sequential Click Chemistry for Applications in Biology

Bi- and trifunctional dendrimer and miktoarm nanocarriers, containing a combination of covalently linked model drug (a-lipoic acid), fluorescent dye (BODIPY), and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG), are synthesized using a core with orthogonal functional groups, on which Huisgen alkyne azide click reactions are performed in sequence. These carriers are internalized into the cells where they reduce H2O2 induced reactive oxygen species formation. In addition, miktoarm nanocarriers conjugated with a-lipoic acid enhance intracellular glutathione (GSH) concentrations.