Selective glucose binding was identified through five generations of monoboronic acid-functionalized PAMAM dendrimers. The best selectivity obtained when using G3 dendrimers (1b) generated 71.1, 94.9, and 1309 times stronger binding than when using galactose, fructose, and lactose, respectively. Further experiments using dendrimer analogues and glucose derivatives suggested that two nearby monoboronic acids cooperatively bound one glucose.
Dendrimers are polymeric compounds with highly branched structures and functionally tunable peripheral groups. Because of their low polydispersity, high degree of molecular uniformity, and precisely controlled structure, dendrimers are excellent models for demonstrating a variety of biological activities. With the attachment of metals ions and/or metals, metallodendrimers or dendrimer nanocomposites, respectively, provide diverse characters for a variety of applications. Functionalization with additional moieties, such as targeted peptides or chromophores, yields metallodendrimers that can find powerful applications and exceed the capabilities of nondendritic molecules or small molecule analogs. This review introduces the background of metallodendrimers and dendrimer nanocomposites. Biomedical applications of metallodendrimers and dendrimer nanocomposites will be discussed, including biomimetic catalysts, imaging contrast agents (especially for MRI imaging), or biomedical sensors and therapeutic agents.
A family of bis(2-pyridyl)amino-modified poly(amidoamine) dendrimer Cu complexes was prepared, and their chemical nuclease activities and binding affinity (Kb) levels for DNA plasmid were investigated. The Kb values of the G2 to G6 apodendrimers for DNA plasmid were found to be 7.4, 23, 48, 70, and 280 µM−1, respectively, using ethidium bromide (EtBr) displacement experiments. The chemical nuclease activities of the corresponding complexes were determined by gel electrophoresis, and a clear positive dendritic effect was observed. Further analysis indicated a linear correlation between the Kb values of the G2 to G5 apodendrimers and the nuclease activity of the corresponding complexes. This observation indicated the importance of substrate binding affinity for macromolecular nuclease activity. In addition, an experiment using 3′-(p-hydroxyphenyl) fluorescein suggested that hydroxyl radicals formed under the tested conditions. Subsequently performed inhibition studies indicated that the hydroxyl radical was the active species responsible for the plasmid cleavage.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.