Nanobioconjugates are extensively employed in an array
of biomedical
applications, such as photodynamic therapy materials, drug delivery
carriers, bioimaging probes, single molecule tracking, detection probes,
and brain targeting agents through transcytosis. To provide these
biological applications, nanoparticles need to be designed delicately
with specific targeting ligands to recognize specific molecules or
to target specific receptors over the cell’s surface, and this
cellular internalization process generally follows a receptor-mediated
endocytosis pathway. The variables that govern this interaction as
well as the cellular entry/exit process are the size and shape of
the nanoparticle, surface chemistry and surface charge of the nanoparticle,
and nanoparticle multivalency (the number of targeting ligands on
the nanoparticle surface). Herein, we elaborately discuss the nanoparticle
multivalency parameter. Monovalent nanobioconjugates always interact
with cell receptors through 1:1 interaction and reduce receptor clustering,
which is inefficient for nanoparticle internalization. In the case
of multivalent nanobioconjugates, this interaction occurs through
multiple ligands from one nanoparticle with multiple receptors on
the cell surface, which leads to receptor clustering. However, nanobioconjugates
with uncontrolled multivalency reduce receptor mobility, followed
by lysosomal trapping, and fail for proper biomedical applications.
Therefore, the development of nanobioconjugates with modular or controlled
multivalency is much more challenging and is also needed for different
biomedical applications. Throughout this review, we describe the crucial
role of nanoparticle multivalency in different biomedical applications.
Next, we discuss various synthesis approaches to develop monovalent
nanobioconjugates via a surface masking strategy and streptavidin–biotin
interaction. Moreover, we discuss how nanoparticle multivalency can
be controlled by using a competitor of targeting ligand, by regulating
the size of the nanoparticle, and by changing the reaction medium/reaction
condition. Next, we demonstrate how nanoparticle multivalency directs
the cellular entry–exit mechanism, subcellular targeting, and
brain targeting. Finally, we discuss the application and effect of
multivalent nanobioconjugates in drug delivery, tumor targeting, single-molecule
imaging, and detection of cancer cells/proteins/peptides.