MV100040
Tris-GalNAc-β-Ala-PEG4-DBCO
A triantennary N-acetylgalactosamine (Tri-GalNAcβ) ligand presenting three β-GalNAc residues on a tris-based branched scaffold, extended through a β-alanine linker and a discrete tetraethylene glycol (PEG4) spacer to a terminal dibenzocyclooctyne (DBCO) handle. The DBCO group reacts with azide-functionalized partners via copper-free strain-promoted azide-alkyne cycloaddition (SPAAC), forming stable 1,2,3-triazole linkages without a copper catalyst. This compound enables the construction of hepatocyte-targeted therapeutics and research tools that exploit the asialoglycoprotein receptor (ASGPR; Ashwell-Morell receptor), which is highly expressed on liver hepatocytes and binds GalNAc-containing ligands with high affinity. The trivalent presentation of GalNAcβ residues engages multiple carbohydrate-recognition domains of ASGPR simultaneously, producing high-avidity binding that substantially exceeds the affinity of monovalent GalNAc ligands and closely mimics the geometry of clinically validated Tri-GalNAc targeting moieties used in approved GalNAc-siRNA therapeutics.