title: Recent advances in dendrimer-based nanovectors for tumor-targeted drug and gene delivery.
abstract: Advances in the application of nanotechnology in medicine have given rise to multifunctional smart nanocarriers that can be engineered with tunable physicochemical characteristics to deliver one or more therapeutic agent(s) safely and selectively to cancer cells, including intracellular organelle-specific targeting. Dendrimers having properties resembling biomolecules, with well-defined 3D nanopolymeric architectures, are emerging as a highly attractive class of drug and gene delivery vector. The presence of numerous peripheral functional groups on hyperbranched dendrimers affords efficient conjugation of targeting ligands and biomarkers that can recognize and bind to receptors overexpressed on cancer cells for tumor-cell-specific delivery. The present review compiles the recent advances in dendrimer-mediated drug and gene delivery to tumors by passive and active targeting principles with illustrative examples.
authors.affiliation: Use-inspired Biomaterials and Integrated Nano Delivery (U-BiND) Systems Laboratory, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, USA.
authors.forename: Prashant
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kesharwani
authors.affiliation: Use-inspired Biomaterials and Integrated Nano Delivery (U-BiND) Systems Laboratory, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, USA. Electronic address: akiyer@wayne.edu.
authors.forename: Arun K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Iyer
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D050091:Dendrimers / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D004337:Drug Carriers; D018014:Gene Transfer Techniques / Q000639:trends*; D015316:Genetic Therapy / Q000639:trends*; D006801:Humans; D015394:Molecular Structure; D050997:Nanomedicine / Q000639:trends*; D053758:Nanoparticles; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D050091:Dendrimers; D004337:Drug Carriers