Patent ID: 7238368

Claim:
A conjugate having the general structure I: P-L-CR 1 R 2 —S—S—Ar—CR 3 R 4 —Y—X 3 —R 5 I wherein: P is a hydrophilic polymer and L is a linker moiety; R 1 , R 2 , R 3 and R 4 are independently selected from the group consisting of H, alkyl, aralkyl and aryl; Ar is an aromatic group to which S—S and CR 3 R 4 are linked in a configuration which promotes rapid cleavage of the CR 3 R 4 —Y bond, via a 1,4-, 1,6- or related elimination reaction involving the bonds of the aromatic group, following cleavage of the S—S bond; Y is a direct bond or —X 1 —(C═X 2 )—, where X 1 and X 2 are independently O or S; and X 3 R 5 is a ligand derived from an amine-, hydroxy- or carboxyl-containing compound, such that X 3 is an oxygen or secondary or tertiary nitrogen atom.