Poly(2-oxazoline)-protein conjugates

Poly(2-oxazoline)s (in literature abbreviated as PAOx, POx, or POZ, herein referred to as PAOx) represent an emerging class of biocompatible polymers outperforming polyethylene glycol (PEG) in many aspects, including their high synthetic versatility and structural modularity. In this review, we provide a brief introduction to PAOx chemistry and biology to sketch their potential in biomaterials science. Further, we provide a detailed comprehensive overview of the literature on PAOx-protein conjugates with emphasis on their critical evaluation and comparison with analogous systems based on PEG. Based on this literature overview, PAOx seem to be an excellent alternative to PEG in the construction of therapeutic polymer-protein conjugates.