Dendrimers are members of a versatile, fourth new class of polymer architecture (i.e. dendritic polymers after traditional linear, crosslinked and branched types). Typically, dendrimers are used as well-defined scaffolding or nanocontainers to conjugate, complex or encapsulate therapeutic drugs or imaging moieties. As a delivery vector, the dendrimer conjugate linker or spacer chemistry plays a...

Given their size, in the single-digit nanometer range, and the versatility of their functionality, dendrimers and other dendritic macromolecules are poised to make a significant contribution to the rapidly expanding fields of nanoscience and nanotechnology. This highlight focuses on nascent applications of dendrimers that take advantage of their structural features and polyvalent character. In ...

The structure of copper(II) complexes formed with triethanolamine (TEA) core poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimers from generation 0 (G0) to 4 (G4) were investigated by the electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) technique and molecular simulations. Different square planar coordination modes were detected as a function of copper(II) concentration, whose dynamic evolution relates to the high structu...

In this study, the host-guest behavior of poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimers bearing amine, hydroxyl, or carboxylate surface functionalities were investigated by paramagnetic NMR studies. 2,2,6,6-Tetramethylpiperidinyloxy (TEMPO) derivatives were used as paramagnetic guest molecules. The results showed that TEMPO-COOH significantly broaden the ¹H NMR peaks of amine- and hydroxyl-terminated PAM...

[60]Fulleropyrrolidine-containing poly(benzyl ether) dendrimers 1-4 were synthesized via 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of amino acid and aldehyde derivatives and [60]fullerene. Their dielectric and electrooptical (Kerr effect) solution properties were studied and compared with poly(propyleneimine) dendrimers, namely DAB-dendr-(alkyl chain)n and DAB-dendr-(CN)n, and with known symmetrical and non-sy...

Prion diseases are characterized by the accumulation of PrP(Sc), an aberrantly folded isoform of the host protein PrP(C). Specific forms of synthetic molecules known as dendrimers are able to eliminate protease-resistant PrP(Sc) in both an intracellular and in vitro setting. The properties of a dendrimer which govern this ability are unknown. We addressed the issue by comparing the in vitro ant...

A series of synthetic benzylpenicillinoylated dendrimers has been prepared using up to 4th generation PAMAM dendrimers. These nanoconjugates, as nanosized Dendritic Antigens, are useful in the diagnostic evaluation of drug allergy due to specific molecular recognition with the Human Immunological System (IgE). The morphology and dimensions of the conjugates coupled to the orientation of the per...

One of the most studied nanocarriers for drug delivery are polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers. However, the alterations produced by PAMAM dendrimers in neuronal function have not been thoroughly investigated, and important aspects such as effects on synaptic transmission remain unexplored. We focused on the neuronal activity disruption induced by dendrimers and the possibility to prevent these e...

There are many types of dendrimers used as nanomolecules for gene delivery but there is still an ongoing search for ones that are able to effectively deliver drugs to cells. The possibility of gene silencing using siRNA gives hope for effective treatment of numerous diseases. The aim of this work was to investigate in vitro biophysical properties of dendriplexes formed by siRNA and cationic pho...

Mechanically interlocked molecules, such as catenanes, rotaxanes, and knots, have applications in information storage, switching devices, and chemical catalysis. Rotaxanes are dumbbell-shaped molecules that are threaded through a large ring, and the relative motion of the two components along each other can respond to external stimuli. Multiple rotaxane units can amplify responsiveness, and rep...