A Pegylated Derivative of α-Galactosylceramide Exhibits Improved Biological Properties

The glycolipid alpha-galactosylceramide (alphaGalCer) has immunomodulatory properties, which have been exploited to combat cancer, chronic inflammatory diseases, and infections. However, its poor solubility makes alphaGalCer a suboptimal compound for in vivo applications. In this study, a pegylated derivative of alphaGalCer is characterized, which exhibits improved physical and biological properties. The new compound, alphaGalCerMPEG, is...