Center for Pharmaceutical Biotechnology and Nanomedicine, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
State Key Laboratory of Innovative Drug and Efficient Energy-Saving Pharmaceutical Equipment, Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang 330006, China.
Molecules. 2021 May 31;26(11):3304. doi: 10.3390/molecules26113304.
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.
树状聚合物属于一类特殊的大分子，兼具单分子和长链聚合物的结构特性。树状聚合物的三维形态和对其构建的额外基质的广泛应用可能性创造了多价潜力和广泛的医学、诊断和环境用途。根据其组成和结构，树状聚合物在从化学到生物技术再到生化应用的许多科学领域都引起了关注。这些化合物的应用非常广泛，从用作抗菌、抗真菌和抗病毒剂的催化剂生产到肽树状聚合物作为治疗物质载体的应用。特别引人关注的是作为运输治疗物质的载体的肽树状聚合物：针对寄生虫、细菌和病毒的合成疫苗、MRI 中使用的对比剂、抗体和遗传物质。本文综述了当前树状聚合物的分类、合成方法，并简要介绍了其性质的缺点及其作为治疗传染病的潜在疗法的用途。
