Dendrimers are emerging class of nanoparticles used in targeted drug delivery systems. These are
radially symmetric molecules with well-defined, homogeneous, and monodisperse structures. Due to the
nano size, they can easily cross the biological membrane and increase bioavailability. The surface functionalization
facilitates targeting of the particular site of action, assists the high drug loading and improves the
therapeutic efficiency of the drug. These properties make dendrimers advantageous over conventional drug
delivery systems. This article explains the features of dendrimers along with their method of synthesis, such
as divergent growth method, convergent growth method, double exponential and mixed method, hyper-core
and branched method. Dendrimers are effectively used in anticancer delivery and can be targeted at the site
of tumor either by active or passive targeting. There are three mechanisms by which drugs interact with
dendrimers, and they are physical encapsulation, electrostatic interaction, chemical conjugation of drug
molecules. Drug releases from dendrimer either by in vivo cleavage of the covalent bond between drugdendrimer
complexes or by physical changes or stimulus like pH, temperature, etc.
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