Dendrimers as Nanocarriers for Nucleic Acid and Drug Delivery in Cancer Therapy

Abstract

Dendrimers are highly branched polymers with easily modifiable surfaces. This makes them promising structures for functionalization and also for conjugation with drugs and DNA/RNA. Their architecture, which can be controlled by different synthesis processes, allows the control of characteristics such as shape, size, charge, and solubility. Dendrimers have the ability to increase the solubility and bioavailability of hydrophobic drugs. The drugs can be entrapped in the intramolecular cavity of the dendrimers or conjugated to their functional groups at their surface. Nucleic acids usually form complexes with the positively charged surface of most cationic dendrimers and this approach has been extensively employed. The presence of functional groups in the dendrimer’s exterior also permits the addition of other moieties that can actively target certain diseases and improve delivery, for instance, with folate and antibodies, now widely used as tumor targeting strategies. Dendrimers have been investigated extensively in the medical field, and cancer treatment is one of the greatest areas where they have been most used. This review will consider the main types of dendrimer currently being explored and how they can be utilized as drug and gene carriers and functionalized to improve the delivery of cancer therapy.

Nanoscale Drug Delivery Systems: From Medicine to Agriculture

“…Production of dendrimers can be approached in two different ways: convergent approach and divergent approach, each with its own limitations (Gupta and Nayak, 2015). Although the main applications of dendrimers are in drug/gene delivery for biomedical applications (Palmerston Mendes et al, 2017), several other applications exist (Abbasi et al, 2014).…”

Nanosystems for Improved Targeted Therapies in Melanoma

“…Dendrimers are three-dimensional synthetic polymers with a branching tree-like structure [18]. The word "dendrimer" is derived from the Greek "dendros", meaning "tree", and "meros", meaning "part of" [19].…”

Polymer nanocarriers for MicroRNA delivery

“…When dendrimers are conjugated to targeting antibodies, drug molecules, or nucleic acids, this decreases the number of reactive groups, which subsequently reduces the charge and associated toxicity . One strategy to improve dendrimers' safety is to modify their surface with PEG moieties, which reduces cytotoxicity and extends circulation . Other methods include shielding of the positive charges via acetylation and hydroxylation .…”

“…One strategy to improve dendrimers' safety is to modify their surface with PEG moieties, which reduces cytotoxicity and extends circulation . Other methods include shielding of the positive charges via acetylation and hydroxylation . Moving forward, minimizing toxicity will be imperative for dendrimer therapeutics to reach their full clinical potential.…”