Dendrimer nanocomposites in medicine (original) (raw)

Dendrimer based nanocomposites 1-5 are novel organic-inorganic hybrid nanoparticles synthesized by dispersing very small inorganic domains in nanoscopic size polymeric networks. Due to the molecular level mixing of their components they display unique material properties in addition to properties represented by their individual components. Dendrimers are often used as templates in making these particles because they can be made uniform, and using these well-controlled and uniform templates leads to well controlled and uniform composite particles. Apart from obvious materials science applications, such as catalysis and photonic materials, dendrimer nanocomposites (DNC) have a great potential in biomedical applications due to their controlled composition, predetermined size, shape and optional surface functionalities. They may be used as drug delivery vehicles to deliver bioactive guests such as silver or for an incorporated radioactive isotope. Radioactive dendrimer nanocomposites can be delivered directly to the tumor by injecting nanoparticle solutions directly into the tumor microvasculature. If a short-lived isotope is used, a procedure like that may serve as an alternate method to direct irradiation. It has also been envisioned that if the surface of such a nanoparticle had been equipped by appropriate targeting moieties the nanoscopic device could find its way selectively to cancerous cells anywhere in the body.