Dendrimers in Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis

Dendrimers are nano-sized, radially symmetric molecules with well-defined, homogeneous and monodisperse structure consisting of tree-like arms or branches. Over the past two decades since the term ‘‘dendrimer’’ was formally defined, research interest in these molecules has gradually evolved from a primary focus on overcoming purely synthetic challenges to include aesthetic and theoretical perspectives, and, more recently, with the ongoing flurry of ‘‘nanobiotechnology’’ advances, to develop practical and commercial applications for these elegant nanodevices. Today, a critical mass of knowledge exists to synthetically control the physicochemical properties of dendrimers and thereby govern their ensuing biological behaviors. These fundamental scientific advances, coupled with practical methods to covalently conjugate a wide range of bioactive molecules to the surface of a dendrimer or encapsulate them as guest molecules within void spaces, provide a highly versatile and potentially extremely powerful technological platform for drug delivery. This chapter recaps synthetic advances in dendrimer construction and summarizes the many features of these fascinating macromolecules that endow them with favorable properties for drug delivery applications. Finally, with this enticing technology having matured to the point where it is ready to confront ‘‘real-world’’ challenges, a synopsis is outlined of the prospects for exploiting dendrimer-based nanodevices for one of the most intractable medical challenges, the diagnosis and treatment of cancer.