title: Dendrimers as potential therapeutic tools in HIV inhibition.
abstract: The present treatments for HIV transfection include chemical agents and gene therapies. Although many chemical drugs, peptides and genes have been developed for HIV inhibition, a variety of non-ignorable drawbacks limited the efficiency of these materials. In this review, we discuss the application of dendrimers as both therapeutic agents and non-viral vectors of chemical agents and genes for HIV treatment. On the one hand, dendrimers with functional end groups combine with the gp120 of HIV and CD4 molecule of host cell to suppress the attachment of HIV to the host cell. Some of the dendrimers are capable of intruding into the cell and interfere with the later stages of HIV replication as well. On the other hand, dendrimers are also able to transfer chemical drugs and genes into the host cells, which conspicuously increase the anti-HIV activity of these materials. Dendrimers as therapeutic tools provide a potential treatment for HIV infection.
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China.
authors.forename: Jianqing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.forename: Zhenghong
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Xiaole
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Qi
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Xiangbo
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D015704:CD4 Antigens / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D050091:Dendrimers / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015316:Genetic Therapy; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D006678:HIV / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D015699:HIV Envelope Protein gp120 / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D015704:CD4 Antigens; D050091:Dendrimers; D015699:HIV Envelope Protein gp120