pH-tuned metal coordination and peroxidase activity of a peptide dendrimer enzyme model with a Fe(II)bipyridine at its core

Designer Peptide and Protein Dendrimers: A Cross-Sectional Analysis

Dendrimers have attracted immense interest in science and technology due to their unique chemical structure that offers a myriad of opportunities for researchers. Dendritic design allows us to present peptides in a branched three-dimensional fashion that eventually leads to a globular shape, thus mimicking globular proteins. Peptide dendrimers, unlike other classes of dendrimers, have immense applications in biomedical research due to their biological origin. The diversity of potential building blocks and innumerable possibilities for design, along with the fact that the area is relatively underexplored, make peptide dendrimers sought-after candidates for various applications. This review summarizes the stepwise evolution of peptidic dendrimers along with their multifaceted applications in various fields. Further, the introduction of biomacromolecules such as proteins to a dendritic scaffold, resulting in complex macromolecules with discrete molecular weights, is an altogether new addition to the area of organic chemistry. The synthesis of highly complex and fully folded biomacromolecules on a dendritic scaffold requires expertise in synthetic organic chemistry and biology. Presently, there are only a handful of examples of protein dendrimers; we believe that these limited examples will fuel further research in this area.

Peptide dendrimers as valuable biomaterials in medical sciences

Peptides are oligomers of amino acids, which have been used in a wide range of applications, particularly in medical and pharmaceutical sciences. Linear peptides have been extensively developed in various fields of medicine as therapeutics or targeting agents. The branched structure of peptide dendrimers with peptide (commonly, poly l‑Lysine) or non-peptide (commonly poly‑amidoamine) core, often exhibits valuable novel features, improves stability and enhances the functionality of peptide in comparison with small linear peptides. The potential applications of Branched and hyper-branched peptidic structures which are known as peptide dendrimers in biomedical sciences have been approved vastly. A peptide dendrimer contains three distinct parts including core, building blocks and branching units or surface functional groups. These structures provide a lot of opportunities in the pharmaceutical field, particularly for novel drug development. In this review, a brief summary of different biomedical applications of peptide dendrimers is presented, and peptide dendrimers as active pharmaceutical ingredients and drug delivery carriers are discussed. Applications of peptide dendrimers in vaccines and diagnostic tools are also presented, in brief. Generally, peptide dendrimers are promising biomaterials with high evolution rate for clinical and non-clinical applications in medicine.

Synthetic methodologies and spatial organization of metal chelate dendrimers and star and hyperbranched polymers

The synthetic methodologies, physico-chemical peculiarities, properties, and structure of metal chelate dendrimers and star and hyperbranched polymers are considered.

Fabrication of triblock ABA type peptide dendrimer based on glutamic acid dimethyl ester and PEG as a potential nano drug delivery agent

INTRODUCTION

Peptide dendrimers build up from amino acids and they simulate to artificial proteins with globular architecture. These characteristics furnish peptide dendrimers with best biodegradability and biocompatibility in drug delivery systems.

METHODS

A barbell-like dendrimer from glutamic acid dimethyl ester-poly (ethylene glycol)-glutamic acid dimethyl ester as ABA-type triblock copolymer (PG-PEG-PG) was prepared with liquid-phase peptide synthesis via a divergent approach. PEG 600 diacid (PEG-A) and glutamic acid dimethyl ester were used as the core and the monomeric building blocks, respectively. Linear-dendritic copolymer was prepared in the presence of DCC in pyridine. Transmission electron microscope (TEM) was used for measuring the size of first generation (G1-COOH) and second generation (G2-COOH) of dendrimer compounds. Thermal behavior of the synthesized dendrimers was investigated using DSC.

RESULTS

The desired generations G1-COOH, G2-COOH and G3-COOH were prepared by divergent method using PEG diacid 600 as a core compound. The size range of the resulted particles was found to be 20-100 nm for various generations. The isolated dendrimer was examined as the drug-delivery agent and the controlled release was carried out for drug molecule in pH 7.4.

CONCLUSION

Based on the obtained results, the synthesized biocompatible dendrimers could potentially be utilized as a drug carrier agent.

Glycopeptide dendrimers as Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm inhibitors

Synthetic glycopeptide dendrimers composed of a branched oligopeptide tree structure appended with glycosidic groups at its multiple N-termini were investigated for binding to the Pseudomonas aeruginosa lectins LecB and LecA. These lectins are partly responsible for the formation of antibiotic resistant biofilms in the human pathogenic bacterium P. aeruginosa, which causes lethal airway infections in immune-compromised and cystic fibrosis patients. Glycopeptide dendrimers with high affinity to the lectins were identified by screening of combinatorial libraries. Several of these dendrimers, in particular the LecB specific glycopeptide dendrimers FD2 and D-FD2 and the LecA specific glycopeptide dendrimers GalAG2 and GalBG2, also efficiently block P. aeruginosa biofilm formation and induce biofilm dispersal in vitro. Structure-activity relationship and structural studies are reviewed, in particular the observation that multivalency is essential to the anti-biofilm effect in these dendrimers.