title: Poly(amidoamine) dendrimer complexes as a platform for gene delivery.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Gene therapy is one of the most effective ways to treat major infectious diseases, cancer and genetic disorders. It is based on several viral and non-viral systems for nucleic acid delivery. The number of clinical trials based on application of non-viral drug and gene delivery systems is rapidly increasing.
  
  
  METHODS
  This review discusses and summarizes recent advances in poly(amidoamine) dendrimers as effective gene carriers in vitro and in vivo, and their advantages and disadvantages relative to viral vectors and other non-viral systems (liposomes, linear polymers) are considered.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this regard, dendrimers are non-immunogenic and have the highest efficiency of transfection among other non-viral systems, and none of the drawbacks characteristic for viral systems. The toxicity of dendrimers both in vitro and in vivo is an important question that has been addressed on many occasions. Several non-toxic and efficient multifunctional dendrimer-based conjugates for gene delivery, along with modifications to improve transfection efficiency while decreasing cytotoxicity, are discussed. Twelve paradigms that affected the development of dendrimer-based gene delivery are described. The conclusion is that dendrimers are promising candidates for gene delivery, but this is just the beginning and further studies are required before using them in human gene therapy.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biophysics and Cell Engineering of NASB , Minsk , Belarus.
authors.forename: Dzmitry
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Shcharbin
authors.forename: Antos
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shakhbazau
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bryszewska
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D050091:Dendrimers / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000737:chemistry; D018014:Gene Transfer Techniques; D015316:Genetic Therapy; D006801:Humans; D056004:Molecular Dynamics Simulation
chemical_list: D050091:Dendrimers; C104700:PAMAM Starburst