Dendrimers and derivatives as a potential therapeutic tool in regenerative medicine strategies—A review

Abstract

a b s t r a c tSince the pioneering work dealing with the synthesis and physicochemical aspects of dendrimers, a predictable and tunable set of compositions for therapeutic, scaffolding and imaging systems has been reported. These are well documented, but many hot issues should be examined and reviewed. Herein, a review is given on dendritic nanopolymers and their applications that show promise in the field of regenerative medicine. This review begins with a brief overview on research merging nanotechnology and regenerative medicine. Fundamentals of the synthesis and macromolecular structure of dendritic polymers are provided. Dendrimers fulfill the requirements as carriers for gene, nucleic acids, bioactive molecules and peptide/protein delivery aimed at modulate the cells functions, in vitro and in vivo. However, to make use of this potential, toxicological, drug-loading capacity, surface engineering and host-guest chemistries in dendrimers must be addressed and thus are also discussed. We focus on recent work involving dendrimers with applications in tissue engineering and the central nervous system. Due to their innovative character, applications beyond drug delivery systems became possible, namely as scaffolding and chemoattractants for tissue regeneration, and implantable biodegradable nanomaterialbased medical devices integrated with drug delivery functions (theranostics). Finally, we highlight promising areas for further research and comment on how and why dendrimer and dendron technology should be viewed as the next generation of biomaterials for the 21st century.

Preparation and Characterization of Ganciclovir Loaded Glutathione Modified Gold Nanoparticles

“…Nanocarriers such as dendrimers, liposomes and polymeric nanoparticles have been successfully utilized for delivery of active drugs in order to achieve improved bioavailability, targeted delivery, toxicity reduction and improved biodistribution [1][2][3][4] . Metal nanoparticles gain attention of researchers for both diagnostic and therapeutic applications [5][6] .…”

Dendrimers as tunable vectors of drug delivery systems and biomedical and ocular applications

“…They have been used efficiently as imaging agents in radiotherapy, X-ray, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). 31,32 In X-ray technology, substances of high molecular weight are preferred over low molecular weight as the latter substances equilibrate readily within the extracellular fluid and intravascular compartments of the body. For this reason, they are used to detect disease-induced lesions or view organs such as kidneys, bones, tumors, and arteriosclerotic vasculature.…”

Nanomedicine: promises and challenges for the future of public health

“…14,15 Advances in regenerative medicine utilizing carbon nanotubes and nanof ibers, nanopatterned extracellular matrices, and dendritic nanopolymers are a few examples of new technologies that are being developed to impact other major causes of morbidity and mortality in the United States, including cancer, Alzheimer's disease, and heart disease. [16][17][18][19] Research efforts focused on these highly prevalent diseases demonstrate how nanomedicine can be used in a variety of ways to tackle large public health issues.…”