Patent ID: 7294615

Claim:
A compound of the general formula (I) X(B) m (I) wherein X is C or CH and B are identical or different and denote K-R, wherein K is a bond or is A 1 —(A 2 —A 3 ) k -sp, wherein A 1 is (CH 2 ) t Y(CH 2 ) u , wherein Y is >C═O, >NH, —O—, —S— or a bond, t is an integer from 0 to 6 and u is an integer from 0 to 6, (A 2 —A 3 ) can be any A 2 and any A 3 in any combination, A 2 is —NHCO— or —CONH—, A 3 is (CH 2 ) r , O(CH 2 ) r , or S(CH 2 ) r , wherein r=1, sp is a divalent spacer or a bond, and k is an integer from 5 to 100, and R is hydrogen, sialic acid, sialyl lactose, sialyl lactosamine, lactose, mannose, Galα1-3Gal, Galα1-3(Fucα1-2)Gal,GalNAcα1-3(Fucα1-2)Gal, Neu5Acα2-6GalNAc, SiaLe A , SiaLe X , HSO 3 Le A , HSO 3 Le X , Galα1-3Galβ1-4GlcNAc, Galα1-3Galβ1-4Glc, Neu5Acα2-6Galβ1-4GlcNAc, HSO 3 GlcAβ1-3Galβ1-4GlcNAc, N-acetyl-lactosamine or polylactosamine, sialic acid benzyl glycoside, HSO 3 GlcAβ1-3Gal, HSO 3 GlcAβ1-3Galβ1-4GlcNAcβ1-3Galβ1-4Glc, GalNAcα, GalNAcα1-3(Fucα1-2)Galβ1-4GlcNAc, Galα1-3(Fucα1-2)Galβ1-4GlcNAc, HSO 3 (Sia)Le X , HSO 3 (Sia)Le A , Le Y , GlcNAcβ1-6(GlcNAcβ1-3)Galβ1-4Glc, GalNAcβ1-4(Neu5Acα2-3)Galβ1-4Glc, mannose-6-phosphate, GalNAcβ1-4GlcNAc, oligo-sialic acid, N-glycolylneuraminic acid, Galα1-4Galβ1-4Glc, or Galα1-4Galβ1-4GlcNAc; and m is at least 2, with the proviso that (1) in the compound at least three R are not hydrogen, (2) there are at least two K that are not a bond, and (3) X, B and m are so selected that an intermolecular association of the K in liquid phase by the formation of hydrogen bonds is possible, with formation of aggregates that present on the surface a plurality of R that are not hydrogen, and (4) the molar mass of the fragment X(K) m is less than 20,000.