Chapter 7 - Peptide Dendrimers in Delivery of Bioactive Molecules to Skin

Abstract

The development of dendrimers as potential drug carriers or scaffolds is currently one of the most active areas of pharmaceutical and biomedical sciences. Peptide dendrimers, an alternative class of dendrimers, are wedge-like molecules of high molecular weight, composed of basic amino acids associated through amide and peptide bonds; these bonds are present both inside the branching core and on their external surface. Delivery of drugs through skin has many advantages compared to the traditional routes (ie, reduced adverse effects, noninvasiveness and resulting patient compliance, avoidance of first-pass metabolism, and allowing for sustained drug delivery). Unlike acrylate dendrimers, peptide dendrimers are broken down to simple and harmless amino acids, possess low toxicity, and are cost-effective to prepare and purify in bulk when synthesized using solid-phase peptide synthesis. Hence, amino acid–based peptide dendrimers are being regarded as highly favorable scaffolds for the efficient and safe delivery of drugs or genes. In this regard, their future in the transdermal delivery of therapeutics is certainly necessary.