Dendrimers: a potential carrier for targeted drug delivery system

Novel drug delivery system aims to deliver the drug at a rate directed by the needs of the body during the period of treatment, and target the active entity to the site of action. A number of novel drug delivery systems have emerged encompassing various routes of administration, to achieve controlled and targeted drug delivery, dendrimer carriers being one of them. Dendrimers are highly branched, star-shaped macromolecules with nanometer-scale dimensions. It is a novel three dimensional structure and these three components are: a central core, an interior dendritic structure (the branches), and an exterior surface with functional surface groups. It is also improve the physical, chemical properties due to their structure. Its other properties like very small size, polyvalenc, monodispersit, stability make it an appropriate carrier for delivering drugs with precision and selectivity. The terminal groups are modified to attach biologically active substances for targeting purpose. Dendrimers are suitable for a wide range of targeted drug delivery, controlled drug delivery, gene delivery and industrial applications. Cationic surfaces of dendrimers show cytotoxicity, derivatization with fatty acid or PEG chains, reducing the overall charge density and minimizing contact between cell surfaces and dendrimers can reduce toxic effects. Different types of products are formulated by using dendrimers for treatment of many diseases. The present review has focused on the different strategies of their synthesis, different methods of drug entraptment, drug delivery and targeting, its applications, interactions involved in formation of drug-dendrimer complex along with characterization techniques employed for their evaluation, toxicity problems.