Abstract
Dendrimers comprise a specific group of macromolecules, which combine structural properties of both single molecules and long expanded polymers. The three-dimensional form of dendrimers and the extensive possibilities for use of additional substrates for their construction creates a multivalent potential and a wide possibility for medical, diagnostic and environmental purposes. Depending on their composition and structure, dendrimers have been of interest in many fields of science, ranging from chemistry, biotechnology to biochemical applications. These compounds have found wide application from the production of catalysts for their use as antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral agents. Of particular interest are peptide dendrimers as a medium for transport of therapeutic substances: synthetic vaccines against parasites, bacteria and viruses, contrast agents used in MRI, antibodies and genetic material. This review focuses on the description of the current classes of dendrimers, the methodology for their synthesis and briefly drawbacks of their properties and their use as potential therapies against infectious diseases.
Highlights
Nanotechnology comprises a multidisciplinary approach at the nanometric level for characterization, manipulation and arrangement of molecules in a systematic way
The word dendrimer originated from the Greek word Dendron meaning tree and the idea to synthesize such macromolecular, hyperbranched architectures originated from the numerous patterns observed in nature
Since there is a deep connection between infectious diseases and cancer, and the direct application of dendrimers in the diagnosis of infectious diseases is rarely reported, we reviewed the application of dendrimers in the diagnosis of cancer caused by infectious diseases
Summary
Nanotechnology comprises a multidisciplinary approach at the nanometric level for characterization, manipulation and arrangement of molecules in a systematic way. It utilizes the diverse knowledge, concepts and novel ideas from different fields of sciences including engineering, physics and biological chemistry to design materials having 1–100 nm size range. The pharmaceutical nanotechnology aims to deliver the therapeutic moieties at the site of disease to reduce unwanted and toxic effects of drugs to normal cells of organisms. The word dendrimer originated from the Greek word Dendron meaning tree and the idea to synthesize such macromolecular, hyperbranched architectures originated from the numerous patterns observed in nature. The vascular system, tree branches, neuronal system, light patterns, tributary origination, explosions or erosions are a few examples found in nature [4,5]
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