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Review
. 2018 Nov 2;23(11):2849.
doi: 10.3390/molecules23112849.

New Advances in General Biomedical Applications of PAMAM Dendrimers

Renan Vinicius de Araújo  1 , Soraya da Silva Santos  2 , Elizabeth Igne Ferreira  3 , Jeanine Giarolla  4
Affiliations
Review

New Advances in General Biomedical Applications of PAMAM Dendrimers

Renan Vinicius de Araújo et al. Molecules. .

Abstract

Dendrimers are nanoscopic compounds, which are monodispersed, and they are generally considered as homogeneous. PAMAM (polyamidoamine) was introduced in 1985, by Donald A. Tomalia, as a new class of polymers, named 'starburst polymers'. This important contribution of Professor Tomalia opened a new research field involving nanotechnological approaches. From then on, many groups have been using PAMAM for diverse applications in many areas, including biomedical applications. The possibility of either linking drugs and bioactive compounds, or entrapping them into the dendrimer frame can improve many relevant biological properties, such as bioavailability, solubility, and selectivity. Directing groups to reach selective delivery in a specific organ is one of the advanced applications of PAMAM. In this review, structural and safety aspects of PAMAM and its derivatives are discussed, and some relevant applications are briefly presented. Emphasis has been given to gene delivery and targeting drugs, as advanced delivery systems using PAMAM and an incentive for its use on neglected diseases are briefly mentioned.

Keywords: PAMAM; dendrimers; drug delivery; gene delivery; nanotechnology.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Dendrimers: general structure.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Common cores and G0 polyamidoamine (PAMAM) derivatives of each core.
Figure 3
Figure 3
PAMAM generations.
Figure 4
Figure 4
PEGylation of PAMAM is one of the strategies for decreasing its toxicity.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Structure of the PAMAM-G4-OH-Ang-(1-7) compound [58].
Figure 6
Figure 6
PAMAM-G4 functionalized with 10 molecules of triamcinolone acetonide attached, and glutaric acid as spacer agent [65,68].
Figure 7
Figure 7
Aptamer-PAMAM dendrimers coupled with CpG-rich oligonucleotides loading doxorrubicin–chemotherapeutic drug (DOX) [71].
Figure 8
Figure 8
Smart AS1411 aptamer-functionalized/PAMAM dendrimers as nanocarriers for targeting drug delivery for gastric cancer [74].
Figure 9
Figure 9
Schematic representation of the proposed binding mode of PAMAM on carbon nanotubes (CNT) [83].
Figure 10
Figure 10
PAMAM-G5 functionalized with linear copolymers for gene delivery as CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats) [92].
Figure 11
Figure 11
Amphiphilic promising dendron for small interfering RNA (siRNA) delivery [94].
Figure 12
Figure 12
Dendrimer E9-2 with a high ability of gene transfection in a stem cell model [102].
Figure 13
Figure 13
A PAMAM dendrimer complexed to 7-ethyl-10-hydroxy-camptothecin [115].
Figure 14
Figure 14
PAMAM dendrimer conjugated to CNDs (carbon nanodots) [119].
Figure 15
Figure 15
Blockage of the PA63 channel by PAMAM compounds [129].
Figure 16
Figure 16
The PAMAM–poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)–glutathione (GSH) compound [142].
Figure 17
Figure 17
A PAMAM dendrimer conjugated to estradiol [151].
Figure 18
Figure 18
PAMAM-G1 and PAMAM-G4 dendrimers containing mixed surface groups, neutral (–OH—90%) and cationic (–NH2—10%) moieties [152].
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