title: Pharmaceutical applications of dendrimers: promising nanocarriers for drug delivery.
abstract: Dendrimers are new artificial macromolecules which have the structure like a tree. They are hyperbranched and monodisperse three-dimensional molecules with defined molecular weights, large numbers of functional groups on the surface and well-established host-guest entrapment properties. Recently, dendrimers have successfully proved themselves as promising nanocarriers for drug delivery because they can render drug molecules a greater water-solubility, bioavailability, and biocompatibility. In this review, recent progress in the pharmaceutical applications of dendrimers as delivery systems for drugs, particularly, the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial/anti-viral and potent anti-cancer drugs is discussed. Three possible interaction mechanisms between dendrimers and drug molecules are presented. In addition, the pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic properties of both dendrimer/drug complex and dendrimer-drug conjugation after their administration to animals are evaluated.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Functional Membranes, Department of Chemistry, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China.
authors.forename: Yiyun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Jinrong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Tingling
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Rao
authors.forename: Xiaoxiao
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Tongwen
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Xu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D050091:Dendrimers / Q000737:chemistry*; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D006801:Humans; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends*; D011073:Polyamines / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D000998:Antiviral Agents; D050091:Dendrimers; C104700:PAMAM Starburst; D011073:Polyamines