Table 1.
Applications of PAMAM Dendrimers for Brain Disease.
| Drug(s) | Loading Method | Application | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carbamazepine | Encapsulation within a G4.5 carboxyl-terminated dendrimer | Neurodegenerative diseases | Decreased neurodegeneration in vivo, decreased protein aggregation, enhanced autophagy, and increased drug solubility [30] |
| Curcumin | Covalent linkage to a G3-succinamic acid surface dendrimer via ester bonds | Glioma | Increased delivery in a tumor-specific distribution [61] |
| Docetaxel | Encapsulation within G4 PAMAM dendrimers with covalently attached pHBA | Glioblastoma | Increased glioblastoma-cell death, and increased drug delivery to the brain [53] |
| Doxorubicin | Encapsulation within PEGylated G4 PAMAM dendrimers with WGA and Tf targeting ligands | Brain tumors | Increased doxorubicin payload at tumor sites [52] |
| Estramustine and podophyllotoxin | Covalent linkage to PAMAM dendrimers | Glioma | More effective killing of glioma cells [56] |
| Haloperidol | Encapsulation within a G5 PAMAM dendrimer with 1,4-diaminobutane core | Psychiatric | Increased brain and plasma concentrations of haloperidol compared to control formulation in a rat model [67] |
| Minocycline | Covalent linkage to G6 hydroxyl-terminated PAMAM dendrimers via amide linkages | Stroke | Reduced neuroinflammation in vivo at lower doses [58] |
| N-acetyl-l-cysteine | Covalent linkage to a G4 hydroxylated PAMAM dendrimer via disulfide linkages | Cerebral palsy | Reduced motor dysfunction in rabbit models [59] |
| Paclitaxel | Covalent linkage to G3 PAMAM dendrimers with added lauryl chains | Brain tumors | Increased cytotoxicity and permeability across porcine brain endothelial cells [57] |
| Risperidone | Encapsulation within a G4 PAMAM dendrimer | Psychiatric | Increased aqueous solubility of risperidone without significant hemolysis or morphological changes to human red blood cells [68] |
| Tamoxifen and doxorubicin | Combination encapsulation (tamoxifen) and covalent linkage (doxorubicin) to G4 PAMAM dendrimers with added PEG and Tf | Glioma | Increased accumulation within glioma cells [62] |
| Venlafaxine | Covalent linkage to PAMAM dendrimers-PEG hydrogels via ester linkages | Psychiatric | Extended release [60] |
PAMAM—polyamidoamine; PEG—polyethylene glycol; pHBA—p-hydroxyl benzoic acid; Tf—transferrin; WGA—wheat germ antigen.