| Autor: |
Cruz A; iBB-Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences and i4HB-Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal., Barbosa J; iBB-Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences and i4HB-Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal., Antunes P; iBB-Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences and i4HB-Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal., Bonifácio VDB; iBB-Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences and i4HB-Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal.; Bioengineering Department, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal., Pinto SN; iBB-Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences and i4HB-Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal. |
| Abstrakt: |
Cancer is a result of abnormal cell proliferation. This pathology is a serious health problem since it is a leading cause of death worldwide. Current anti-cancer therapies rely on surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. However, these treatments still present major associated problems, namely the absence of specificity. Thus, it is urgent to develop novel therapeutic strategies. Nanoparticles, particularly dendrimers, have been paving their way to the front line of cancer treatment, mostly for drug and gene delivery, diagnosis, and disease monitoring. This is mainly derived from their high versatility, which results from their ability to undergo distinct surface functionalization, leading to improved performance. In recent years, the anticancer and antimetastatic capacities of dendrimers have been discovered, opening new frontiers to dendrimer-based chemotherapeutics. In the present review, we summarize the intrinsic anticancer activity of different dendrimers as well as their use as nanocarriers in cancer diagnostics and treatment. |
