1 3
Topics in Current Chemistry (2020) 378:40
purpose, such as a dendritic sensor [222, 223] or a payload carrier, the encapsulation of molecules in their interior shell being the most used application of dendrimers [224, 225]. One of the most common dendrimers is based on the chemical structure poly (amidoamine) (PAMAM), which has a large number of reactive
amine groups on the periphery, making them an excellent platform to construct
nanomaterials for biomedical applications [226–228]. Luong et al. [229] designed a
promising theranostic agent based on the combination of IONPs and a hydrophobic
anticancer drug loaded in a PAMAM dendrimer decorated with folic acid (FA). The
design of this hybrid theranostic agent starts with functionalization of the SPIONs
with activated carboxyl groups that bind folic acid-PAMAM dendrimers. The engineered SPIONs@FA-PAMAM showed great potential as MRI diagnostic agents,
with increased internalization in cancer cells and better image contrast. Moreover,
the encapsulation of hydrophobic anticancer drugs, such as 3,4-difluorobenzylidenecurcumin (CDF), in the dendrimers of the SPIONs@FA-PAMAM, enhances their
anticancer activity by delivering a higher dose of CDF with high specificity to target
cancer cells expressing folate receptors.
Dendrimers could also be used in gene therapy as gene delivery platforms.
Xiao et al. [220] synthesized a nanohybrid dendrimer based on the combination of
PAMAM dendrimers and IONPs through electrostatic interactions. First, the IONPs
were functionalized with negatively charged polystyrene sulfonate (PSS), and then
positively charged PAMAM dendrimers decorated with plasmid DNA were deposited onto the PSS-functionalized NPs, resulting in a nanohybrid material, PAMAM
dendrimer/pDNA-coated MNPs. The results demonstrated that the efficiency of this
hybrid system to transfect NIH 3T3 cells is strongly dependent on the dendrimer
generation, the amine/phosphate groups ratio and the plasmid DNA concentration.
3.1.3 Liposomes
Liposomes comprise a lipid bilayer surrounding an aqueous core. They can be
made from different lipid formulation and present different sizes depending on the
method of preparation. Similarly to the organic macro-structures mentioned above,
liposomes are able to encapsulate payloads in their hydrophobic or hydrophilic
inner, which makes them excellent nanocarriers for therapeutic and imaging applications. Liposomes based on phospholipids are the most common vesicles for in vivo
applications due to their great advantages, such as biocompatibility, biodegradability
and reduced toxicity [230–232]. The incorporation of IONPs into liposomes is gaining increased attention of researchers as a way to synthetize more effective magnetic
nanocarriers for in vivo applications. Di Corato et al. [233] designed a liposome
formulation based on phosphatidylcholine lipids that entraps magnetic NPs and a
photosensitizer in its interior. In a single synthesis method, higher concentrations of
hydrophilic IONPs were encapsulated in the core, and a hydrophobic photosynthesizer, Temoporfin (marketed as Foscan), was incorporated into the lipid bilayer. The
resulting magnetic liposome presented double functionality, magnetic hyperthermia
and photodynamic therapy, which led to complete death of cancer cells in vitro and
total ablation of solid-tumor in vivo.
65
Reprinted from the journal
Topics in Current Chemistry (2020) 378:40
purpose, such as a dendritic sensor [222, 223] or a payload carrier, the encapsulation of molecules in their interior shell being the most used application of dendrimers [224, 225]. One of the most common dendrimers is based on the chemical structure poly (amidoamine) (PAMAM), which has a large number of reactive
amine groups on the periphery, making them an excellent platform to construct
nanomaterials for biomedical applications [226–228]. Luong et al. [229] designed a
promising theranostic agent based on the combination of IONPs and a hydrophobic
anticancer drug loaded in a PAMAM dendrimer decorated with folic acid (FA). The
design of this hybrid theranostic agent starts with functionalization of the SPIONs
with activated carboxyl groups that bind folic acid-PAMAM dendrimers. The engineered SPIONs@FA-PAMAM showed great potential as MRI diagnostic agents,
with increased internalization in cancer cells and better image contrast. Moreover,
the encapsulation of hydrophobic anticancer drugs, such as 3,4-difluorobenzylidenecurcumin (CDF), in the dendrimers of the SPIONs@FA-PAMAM, enhances their
anticancer activity by delivering a higher dose of CDF with high specificity to target
cancer cells expressing folate receptors.
Dendrimers could also be used in gene therapy as gene delivery platforms.
Xiao et al. [220] synthesized a nanohybrid dendrimer based on the combination of
PAMAM dendrimers and IONPs through electrostatic interactions. First, the IONPs
were functionalized with negatively charged polystyrene sulfonate (PSS), and then
positively charged PAMAM dendrimers decorated with plasmid DNA were deposited onto the PSS-functionalized NPs, resulting in a nanohybrid material, PAMAM
dendrimer/pDNA-coated MNPs. The results demonstrated that the efficiency of this
hybrid system to transfect NIH 3T3 cells is strongly dependent on the dendrimer
generation, the amine/phosphate groups ratio and the plasmid DNA concentration.
3.1.3 Liposomes
Liposomes comprise a lipid bilayer surrounding an aqueous core. They can be
made from different lipid formulation and present different sizes depending on the
method of preparation. Similarly to the organic macro-structures mentioned above,
liposomes are able to encapsulate payloads in their hydrophobic or hydrophilic
inner, which makes them excellent nanocarriers for therapeutic and imaging applications. Liposomes based on phospholipids are the most common vesicles for in vivo
applications due to their great advantages, such as biocompatibility, biodegradability
and reduced toxicity [230–232]. The incorporation of IONPs into liposomes is gaining increased attention of researchers as a way to synthetize more effective magnetic
nanocarriers for in vivo applications. Di Corato et al. [233] designed a liposome
formulation based on phosphatidylcholine lipids that entraps magnetic NPs and a
photosensitizer in its interior. In a single synthesis method, higher concentrations of
hydrophilic IONPs were encapsulated in the core, and a hydrophobic photosynthesizer, Temoporfin (marketed as Foscan), was incorporated into the lipid bilayer. The
resulting magnetic liposome presented double functionality, magnetic hyperthermia
and photodynamic therapy, which led to complete death of cancer cells in vitro and
total ablation of solid-tumor in vivo.
65
Reprinted from the journal