Potential Applications of Dendrimers

Abstract

This review gives concise information about the application of dendrimers in the field of drug delivery. Due to theirunique architecture these have improved physical and chemical properties. Due to their terminal groups these show highsolubility, miscibility and reactivity. Dendrimers have well defined size, shape, molecular weight and monodispersity.These properties make the dendrimers a suitable carrier in drug delivery application. Dendrimers are unimolecularmiceller in nature and due to this enhances the solubility of poorly soluble drugs. Their compatibility with DNA, heparinand polyanions make them more versatile. Dendrimers, also referred as modern day polymers, they offer much moregood properties than the conventional polymers. Due to their multivalent and mono disperse character dendrimers havestimulated wide interest in the field of chemistry biology, especially in applications like drug delivery, gene therapy andchemotherapy. Self-assembly produces a faster means of generating nanoscopic functional and structural systems. Buttheir actual utility in drug delivery can be assessed only after deep understanding of factors affecting their properties andtheir behavior in vivo.

Keywords: Dendrimers, Drug targeting, nanoscale carriers.