Electrochemical and Electrochemiluminescence Dendrimer-based Nanostructured Immunosensors for Tumor Marker Detection: A Review

The usage of dendrimers or cascade molecules in the biomedical area has recently attracted much attention worldwide. Furthermore, dendrimers are interesting in clinical and pre-clinical applications due to their unique characteristics. Cancer is one of the most widespread challenges and important diseases, which has the highest mortality rate. In this review, the recent advances and developments (from 2009 up to 2019) in the field of electrochemical and electroluminescence immunosensors for detection of the cancer markers are presented. Moreover, this review covers the basic fabrication principles and types of electrochemical and electrochemiluminescence dendrimer-based immunosensors. In this review, we have categorized the current dendrimer based-electrochemical/ electroluminescence immunosensors into five groups: dendrimer/ magnetic particles, dendrimer/ferrocene, dendrimer/metal nanoparticles, thiol-containing dendrimer, and dendrimer/quantum dots based-immunosensors.

Dendrimers: A New Race of Pharmaceutical Nanocarriers

Dendrimers are nanosized, symmetrical molecules in which a small atom or group of atoms is surrounded by the symmetric branches known as dendrons. The structure of dendrimers possesses the greatest impact on their physical and chemical properties. They grow outwards from the core-shell which further reacts with monomers having one reactive or two dormant molecules. Dendrimers' unique characteristics such as hyperbranching, well-defined spherical structure, and high compatibility with the biological systems are responsible for their wide range of applications including medical and biomedical areas. Particularly, the dendrimers' three-dimensional structure can incorporate a wide variety of drugs to form biologically active drug conjugates. In this review, we focus on the synthesis, mechanism of drug encapsulations in dendrimers, and their wide applications in drug delivery.

Dendrimers in the context of nanomedicine

Dendrimers are globular structures, presenting an initiator core, repetitive layers starting radially from the core and terminal groups on the surface, resembling tree architecture. These structures have been studied in many biological applications, as drug, DNA, RNA and proteins delivery, as well as imaging and radiocontrast agents. With reference to that, this review focused in providing examples of dendrimers used in nanomedicine. Although most studies emphasize cancer, there are others which reveal action in the neurosystem, reducing either neuroinflammation or protein aggregation. Dendrimers can carry bioactive compounds by covalent bond (dendrimer prodrug), or by ionic interaction or adsortion in the internal space of the nanostructure. Additionally, dendrimers can be associated with other polymers, as PEG (polyethylene glycol), and with targeting structures as aptamers, antibodies, folic acid and carbohydrates. Their products in preclinical/clinical trial and those in the market are also discussed, with a total of six derivatives in clinical trials and seven products available in the market.

Dendrimer porphyrins as the oxygen sensor for intracellular imaging to suppress interaction towards biological molecules

Optical methods using phosphorescence quenching by oxygen are suitable for the measurement of oxygen concentration within cells. In cells, however, the dyes such as Pt-porphyrins interact with biological components so that their optical properties are changed. Therefore, the absolute oxygen concentration determination in cells is difficult. To suppress this interaction, we focussed on porphyrin-cored dendrimers (dendrimer-porphyrins) and synthesized 2^nd–4^th generation dendrimer-porphyrins with various surface functional groups (G2–G4, ARG, αGLU and γGLU). These dendrimer-porphyrins showed oxygen sensing property and the change of their spectroscopic properties by biomolecules was supressed. Additionally, the dendrimer-porphyrins were accumulated in cells even in the presence of serum, so oxygen concentration imaging without the effect of serum starvation was also achieved.

Formation of dendrimer-guest complexes as a strategy to increase the solubility of a phenazine N, N'-dioxide derivative with antitumor activity

Poly(amidoamine) and Poly(propylenimine) dendrimers with different generations and peripheral groups were studied as solubility enhancers and nanocarriers for 7-bromo-2-hydroxy-phenazine N⁵,N¹⁰-dioxide. This compound possesses potential antitumoral and anti-trypanosomal activity, but its low solubility in physiological media precludes its possible application as therapeutic drug. The amino terminated dendrimers association with the active compounds as observed trough NMR studies showed that electrostatic interactions are essential in the solubilization enhancement process. The obtaining of a stable and no cytotoxic formulation makes the drug-carried association a suitable strategy for the generation of a drug delivery system for phenazine derivatives.

Design, Synthesis, and Characterization of Fully Zwitterionic, Functionalized Dendrimers

Dendrimers are interesting candidates for various applications because of the high level of control over their architecture, the presence of internal cavities, and the possibility for multivalent interactions. More specifically, zwitterionic dendrimers modified with an equal number of oppositely charged groups have found use in in vivo biomedical applications. However, the design and control over the synthesis of these dendrimers remains challenging, in particular with respect to achieving full modification of the dendrimer. In this work, we show the design and subsequent synthesis of dendrimers that are highly charged while having zero net charge, that is zwitterionic dendrimers that are potential candidates for biomedical applications. First, we designed and fully optimized the synthesis of charge-neutral carboxybetaine and sulfobetaine zwitterionic dendrimers. Following their synthesis, the various zwitterionic dendrimers were extensively characterized. In this study, we also report for the first time the use of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy as an easy-to-use and quantitative tool for the compositional analysis of this type of macromolecules that can complement techniques such as nuclear magnetic resonance and gel permeation chromatography. Finally, we designed and synthesized zwitterionic dendrimers that contain a variable number of alkyne and azide groups that allow straightforward (bio)functionalization via click chemistry.

Employment of enhanced permeability and retention effect (EPR): Nanoparticle-based precision tools for targeting of therapeutic and diagnostic agent in cancer

In tumorous tissues, the absence of vasculature supportive tissues intimates the formation of leaky vessels and pores (100 nm to 2 μm in diameter) and the poor lymphatic system offers great opportunity to treat cancer and the phenomenon is known as Enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect. The trends in treating cancer by making use of EPR effect is increasing day by day and generate multitudes of possibility to design novel anticancer therapeutics. This review aimed to present various factors affecting the EPR effect along with important things to know about EPR effect such as tumor perfusion, lymphatic function, interstitial penetration, vascular permeability, nanoparticle retention etc. This manuscript expounds the current advances and cross-talks the developments made in the of EPR effect-based therapeutics in cancer therapy along with a transactional view of its current clinical and industrial aspects.

Subnanometer Gold Clusters Adhere to Lipid A for Protection against Endotoxin-Induced Sepsis

Endotoxicity originating from a dangerous debris (i.e., lipopolysaccharide, LPS) of Gram-negative bacteria is a challenging clinical problem, but no drugs or therapeutic strategies that can successfully address this issue have been identified yet. In this study, we report a subnanometer gold cluster that can efficiently block endotoxin activity to protect against sepsis. The endotoxin blocker consists of a gold nanocluster that serves as a flakelike substrate and a coating of short alkyl motifs that act as an adhesive to dock with LPS by compacting the intramolecular hydrocarbon chain-chain distance ( d-spacing) of lipid A, an endotoxicity active site that can cause overwhelming cytokine induction resulting in sepsis progression. Direct evidence showed the d-spacing values of lipid A to be decreased from 4.19 Å to either 3.85 or 3.54 Å, indicating more dense packing densities in the presence of subnanometer gold clusters. In terms of biological relevance, the concentrations of key pro-inflammatory NF-κB-dependent cytokines, including plasma TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β, and CXC chemokines, in LPS-challenged mice showed a noticeable decrease. More importantly, we demonstrated that the treatment of antiendotoxin gold nanoclusters significantly prolonged the survival time in LPS-induced septic mice. The ultrasmall gold nanoclusters could target lipid A of LPS to deactivate endotoxicity by compacting its packing density, which might constitute a potential therapeutic strategy for the early prevention of sepsis caused by Gram-negative bacterial infection.

Poly(propyleneimine) glycodendrimers non-covalently bind ATP in a pH- and salt-dependent manner - model studies for adenosine analogue drug delivery

Adenosine analogue drugs (such as fludarabine or cladribine) require transporter-mediated uptake into cells and subsequent phosphorylation for anticancer activity. Therefore, application of nanocarrier systems for direct delivery of active triphosphate forms has been proposed. Here, we applied isothermal titration calorimetry and zeta potential titration to determine the stoichiometry and thermodynamic parameters of interactions between 4th generation poly(propyleneimine) dendrimers (unmodified or sugar-modified for increased biocompatibility) and ATP as a model adenosine nucleotide. We showed that glycodendrimers have the ability to efficiently interact with nucleoside triphosphates and to form stable complexes via electrostatic interactions between the ionized phosphate and amino groups on the nucleotide and the dendrimer, respectively. The complexation process is spontaneous, enthalpy-driven and depends on buffer composition (strongest interactions in organic buffer) and pH (more binding sites in acidic pH). These properties allow us to consider maltose-modified dendrimers as especially promising carriers for adenosine analogues.

Remarkable reversal of electrostatic interaction forces on zwitterionic soft nanointerfaces in a monovalent aqueous electrolyte: an AFM study at the single nanoparticle level

Soft (nano)colloids are increasingly used in medical applications due to the versatile options they offer in terms of e.g. tunable chemical composition, adaptable physical properties and (bio)functionalization perspectives. Obtaining a clear understanding of the nature of the interaction forces that such particles experience with neighboring charged (bio)surfaces is a mandatory prerequisite to draw a comprehensive and mechanistic picture of their stability and reactivity and to further optimize their current functionalities. In this study, adopting an original strategy for nanoparticle attachment to atomic force microscopy (AFM) tips, we demonstrate that the sign of electrostatic forces between carboxylate-terminated poly(amidoamine) nanodendrimers (∼9 nm in diameter) and planar cysteamine-coated gold surfaces can be tailored under fixed pH conditions upon the sole variation of the monovalent salt concentration in solution. The origin of this unconventional electrostatic force reversal is deciphered upon confrontation between AFM force measurements and mean-field force evaluation performed beyond the Derjaguin approximation by integrating the dendrimer and cysteamine electrostatic properties derived independently from electrokinetic measurements. It is shown that the electrostatic force reversal (i) originates from the zwitterionic character of the nanodendrimer-solution interphase, and (ii) becomes operational under the strict condition that the sub-nanometric separation distance between peripheral carboxylate groups and intraparticulate amines is of the order of the characteristic electric Debye layer thickness. The possibility to mediate - via suitable adjustment of monovalent salt content in solution - both the magnitude and sign of the electrostatic forces acting on soft interfaces with zwitterionic functionality paves the way for the design of innovative strategies to control the stability of nanoparticles against aggregation, and to modulate their adhesion onto inorganic surfaces or living organisms.

Radiation-Sensitive Dendrimer-Based Drug Delivery System

Combination of chemotherapy and radiotherapy is used to enhance local drug delivery while reducing off-target tissue effects. Anticancer drug doxorubicin (DOX) is loaded into l-cysteine modified G4.5 dendrimer (GC/DOX) and released at different pH values in the presence and absence of γ-radiation. Presence of γ-radiation significantly improves DOX release from the GC/DOX under acidic pH conditions, suggesting that GC dendrimer is a radiation-sensitive drug delivery system. GC/DOX is further evaluated by determining cytotoxicity in uterine cervical carcinoma HeLa cells. GC/DOX shows high affinity for cancer cells and effective drug release following an external stimulus (radiation exposure), whereas an in vivo zebrafish study confirms that l-cysteine acts as a radiosensitizer. GC/DOX treatment combined with radiotherapy synergistically and successfully inhibits cancer cell growth.

Gd3+-Asparagine-Anionic Linear Globular Dendrimer Second-Generation G2 Complexes: Novel Nanobiohybrid Theranostics

Designing a unique theranostic biocompatible, biodegradable, and cost-effective agent which is easy to be synthesized as a biohybrid material was the aim of this study. In this matter, asparagine attached to anionic linear globular dendrimer G2 (as a biocompatible, biodegradable, and cost-effective agent which is negatively charged nanosized and water soluble polymer that outweighs other traditionally used dendrimers) and finally contrast agent (Gd3+) was loaded (which made complexes) in synthesized asparagine-dendrimer. Observations revealed that, in addition to successful colon cancer and brain targeting, Gd3+-dendrimer-asparagine, the proposed theranostic agent, could increase T1 MR relaxation times, decrease T2 MR relaxation times significantly, and improve contrast of image as well as illustrating good cellular uptake based on florescent microscopy/flow cytometry and ICP-mass data. In addition to that, it increased tumor growth inhibition percentage (TGI%) significantly compared to FDA approved contrast agent, Magnevist. Totally, Gd3+-anionic linear globular dendrimer G2-asparagine could be introduced to the cancer imaging/therapy (theranostics) protocols after in vivo MR and fluorescent analysis and passing clinical trials. Hence, this nanotheranostic agent would be a promising candidate for brain drug delivery and imaging in the future.

In vitro study of a glucose attached poly(aryl ether) dendron based gel as a drug carrier for a local anaesthetic

A poly(aryl ether) dendron based gelator as an efficient transdermal drug carrier for the controlled release of prilocaine hydrochloride.

Unusual liquid-liquid phase transition in aqueous mixtures of a well-known dendrimer

Liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) has been extensively investigated for polymer and protein solutions due to its importance in mixture thermodynamics, separation science and self-assembly processes. However, to date, no experimental studies have been reported on LLPS of dendrimer solutions. Here, it is shown that LLPS of aqueous solutions containing a hydroxyl-functionalized poly(amido amine) dendrimer of fourth generation is induced in the presence of sodium sulfate. Both the LLPS temperature and salt-dendrimer partitioning between the two coexisting phases at constant temperature were measured. Interestingly, our experiments show that LLPS switches from being induced by cooling to being induced by heating as the salt concentration increases. The two coexisting phases also show opposite temperature response. Thus, this phase transition exhibits a simultaneous lower and upper critical solution temperature-type behavior. Dynamic light-scattering and dye-binding experiments indicate that no appreciable conformational change occurs as the salt concentration increases. To explain the observed phase behavior, a thermodynamic model based on two parameters was developed. The first parameter, which describes dendrimer-dendrimer interaction energy, was determined by isothermal titration calorimetry. The second parameter describes the salt salting-out strength. By varying the salting-out parameter, it is shown that the model achieves agreement not only with the location of the experimental binodal at 25 °C but also with the slope of this curve around the critical point. The proposed model also predicts that the unusual temperature behavior of this phase transition can be described as the net result of two thermodynamic factors with opposite temperature responses: salt thermodynamic non-ideality and salting-out strength.

Maltose modified poly(propylene imine) dendrimers as potential carriers of nucleoside analog 5'-triphosphates

Poly(propylene imine) (PPI) dendrimers contained surface maltose modification are proposed as drug carriers for nucleoside analog (NA) 5'-triphosphates. The aim of this study was to investigate the interactions between PPI dendrimers of 3rd (G3) or 4th (G4) generation and cytidine-5'-triphosphate (CTP) by Isothermal Titration Calorimetry method. CTP was used as a model molecule of pyrimidine nucleoside analog-cytarabine (ara-CTP) commonly used in leukemia treatment. Complexes of PPI dendrimers with NAs may help to overcome severe limitations of NAs associated with their low solubility and stability or resistance in cancer cells. In the present work, we evaluated stoichiometry and a mechanism of forming complexes between dendrimers and the nucleotide. Moreover, we examined the efficiency of complex formation in relation to dendrimer generations, a type of dendrimer modification with maltose residues and a type of solvent. It was observed that PPI dendrimers create complexes with CTP with high efficiency that makes them promising candidates for a drug delivery system.

Recent advances in targeted drug delivery approaches using dendritic polymers

Since they were first synthesized over 30 years ago, dendrimers have seen rapid translation into various biomedical applications. A number of reports have not only demonstrated their clinical utility, but also revealed novel design approaches and strategies based on the elucidation of underlying mechanisms governing their biological interactions. This review focuses on presenting the latest advances in dendrimer design, discussing the current mechanistic understandings, and highlighting recent developments and targeted approaches using dendrimers in drug/gene delivery.

Remarkable electrokinetic features of charge-stratified soft nanoparticles: mobility reversal in monovalent aqueous electrolyte

The electrokinetic behavior of G6.5 carboxylate-terminated poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) starburst dendrimers (8 ± 1 nm diameter) is investigated over a broad range of pH values (3-9) and NaNO3 concentrations (c(∞ )= 2-200 mM). The dependence of nanodendrimer electrophoretic mobility μ on pH and c(∞) is marked by an unconventional decrease of the point of zero mobility (PZM) from 5.4 to 5.5 to 3.8 upon increase in salt concentration, with PZM defined as the pH value at which a reversal of the mobility sign is reached. The existence of a common intersection point is further evidenced for series of mobility versus pH curves measured at different NaNO3 concentrations. Using soft particle electrokinetic theory, this remarkable behavior is shown to originate from the zwitterionic functionality of the PAMAM-COOH particles. The dependence of PZM on c(∞) results from the coupling between electroosmotic flow and dendrimeric interphase defined by a nonuniform distribution of amine and carboxylic functional groups. In turn, μ reflects the sign and distribution of particle charges located within an electrokinetically active region, the dimension of which is determined by the Debye length, varied here in the range 0.7-6.8 nm. In agreement with theory, the electrokinetics of smaller G4.5 PAMAM-COOH nanoparticles (5 ± 0.5 nm diameter) further confirms that the PZM is shifted to higher pH with decreasing dendrimer size. Depending on pH, a mobility extremum is obtained under conditions where the Debye length and the particle radius are comparable. This results from changes in particle structure compactness following salt- and pH-mediated modulations of intraparticle Coulombic interactions. The findings solidly evidence the possible occurrence of particle mobility reversal in monovalent salt solution suggested by recent molecular dynamic simulations and anticipated from earlier mean-field electrokinetic theory.

pH dependent one-/two-photon fluorescence emission properties and mechanism of the dendrimer PAMAM triphenylamine imine

pH dependent fluorescence emission of PTS-G0 and ETS were compared, to better understand intrinsic fluorescence phenomena of PAMAM dendrimers.

Interaction of cationic carbosilane dendrimers and their complexes with siRNA with erythrocytes and red blood cell ghosts

We have investigated the interactions between cationic NN16 and BDBR0011 carbosilane dendrimers with red blood cells or their cell membranes. The carbosilane dendrimers used possess 16 cationic functional groups. Both the dendrimers are made of water-stable carbon-silicon bonds, but NN16 possesses some oxygen-silicon bonds that are unstable in water. The nucleic acid used in the experiments was targeted against GAG-1 gene from the human immunodeficiency virus, HIV-1. By binding to the outer leaflet of the membrane, carbosilane dendrimers decreased the fluidity of the hydrophilic part of the membrane but increased the fluidity of the hydrophobic interior. They induced hemolysis, but did not change the morphology of the cells. Increasing concentrations of dendrimers induced erythrocyte aggregation. Binding of short interfering ribonucleic acid (siRNA) to a dendrimer molecule decreased the availability of cationic groups and diminished their cytotoxicity. siRNA-dendrimer complexes changed neither the fluidity of biological membranes nor caused cell hemolysis. Addition of dendriplexes to red blood cell suspension induced echinocyte formation.

Poly-amidoamine structure characterization: amide resonance structure of imidic acid (HO–CN) and tertiary ammonium

The dendrimer PAMAM has an amide resonance structure,i.e.imidic acid (HO–CN), and a tertiary ammonium structure, which can be characterized using¹⁵N/¹H/2D NH/¹³C NMR, IR and MS.

A study using quantum chemical theory methods on the intrinsic fluorescence emission and the possible emission mechanisms of PAMAM

Structural units imidic acid (HO–CN) and tertiary ammonium in PAMAM dendrimers were proven to give fluorescence emission by TDDFT methods.

Dendrimers--revolutionary drugs for infectious diseases

Over recent years innovative nanomolecules in a form of dendrimers have been gaining increasing interest. These compounds can be designed and modified in many ways giving a molecule which meets required expectations. For this reason dendrimers are the object of intensive studies in many fields of nanoscience including one of the most thriving--biomedicine. Numerous studies provide evidence that some dendrimers exhibit activities against many species/strains of viruses, bacteria, fungi, and prions. These types of dendritic nanostructures which are distinguished by antipathogenic properties and low cytotoxicity to eukaryotic cells may be potentially applied in medicine as novel drugs for various infectious diseases, especially those which are persistent, marked by high mortality rate, or untreatable. Dendrimers can exert their effect via different mechanisms of action, which are, in most cases, related to multivalency of the nanomolecule. The application of dendrimers is likely to be a breakthrough in prevention and treatment of infectious diseases which still beset humanity and may significantly improve the quality of people's life.