Publication

The Present and the Future of Degradable Dendrimers and Derivatives in Theranostics

Bibliographic Details
Summary:Interest in dendrimer-based nanomedicines has been growing recently, as it is possible to precisely manipulate the molecular weight, chemical composition, and surface functionality of dendrimers, tuning their properties according to the desired biomedical application. However, one important concern about dendrimer-based therapeutics remains-the nondegradability under physiological conditions of the most commonly used dendrimers. Therefore, biodegradable dendrimers represent an attractive class of nanomaterials, since they present advantages over conventional nondegradable dendrimers regarding the release of the loaded molecules and the prevention of bioaccumulation of synthetic materials and subsequent cytotoxicity. Here, we present an overview of the state-of-the-art of the design of biodegradable dendritic structures, with particular focus on the hurdles regarding the use of these as vectors of drugs and nucleic acids, as well as macromolecular contrast agents.
Subject:Animals Nucleic Acids/administration & dosage Theranostic Nanomedicine/methods Dendrimers/metabolism Dendrimers/chemistry Contrast Media/metabolism Drug Delivery Systems/methods Nanostructures/chemistry Contrast Media/chemistry Gene Transfer Techniques Biocompatible Materials/chemistry Magnetic Resonance Imaging/methods Biocompatible Materials/metabolism Pharmaceutical Preparations/administration & dosage Humans
Country:Portugal
Document type:journal article
Access type:Open
Associated institution:Repositório Aberto da Universidade do Porto
Language:English
Origin:Repositório Aberto da Universidade do Porto

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