Table 1.

An overview of disparate dendrimers involved in targeting drug delivery to brain diseases.

Dendrimers	Ligands	Targeting Pattern	Drug	Diseases	References
G5 PAMAM	Folic acid	Dual-functional glioma targeting	Borneol	Glioma	[116]
G5 PAMAM	Lactoferrin	Targeting the BBB	Plasmid hGDNF	PD	[117,118]
G5 PAMAM	Lactoferrin	Targeting the BBB	pEGFP-N2, pGL2	-	[119,120]
G5 PAMAM	Transferrin	Targeting the BBB	pEGFP-N2, pGL2	-	[121]
G5 PAMAM	HAIYPRH peptide	Targeting the BBB and tumor cells	pORF-hTRAIL, doxorubicin	Glioma	[122]
G4 PAMAM	Transferrin, Tamoxifen	Dual targeting to the BBB and tumor cells	Doxorubicin	Glioma	[123]
G5 PAMAM	Angiopep-2 peptide	Dual targeting to the BBB and tumor cells	pORF-hTRAIL, pGL2	Glioma	[124]
G5 PAMAM	Angiopep-2 peptide	Targeting to the BBB	pEGFP-N2	-	[125]
G5 PAMAM	RVG29 peptide	Targeting to the BBB	pEGFP-N2, pGL2	-	[126]
G5 PAMAM	Chlorotoxin	Targeting to tumor cells	pORF-hTRAIL	Glioma	[127]
G4 PAMAM	SRL peptide	Targeting to the BBB	pEGFP-N2	-	[128]
G4 PAMAM derivate	-	-	HMGB1 siRNA	Cerebral ischemia	[91]
G3 PPI	Transferrin	Targeting to the BBB	pGL	Glioma	[114]
G5 PPI	Sialic acid	Targeting to the BBB	Paclitaxel	-	[112]
G5 PPI	Polysorbate 80	Targeting to the BBB	Docetaxel	Glioma	[129]
G3 DGL	HAIYPRH (T7) peptide	Dual targeting to the BBB and tumor cells	pORF-hTRAIL, doxorubicin	Glioma	[130]
G3 DGL	HAIYPRH (T7) peptide	Dual targeting to the BBB and tumor cells	siRNA for luciferase	Glioma	[131]
G3 DGL	Angiopep peptide	Targeting to the BBB	Plasmid hGDNF	PD	[132]
G3 DGL	Choline derivate	Targeting to the BBB	pGL3	-	[133]
G3 DGL	Choline derivate	Dual targeting to the BBB and tumor cells	pORF-hTRAIL and doxorubicin	Glioma	[134]
G3 DGL	NL4 peptide, apolipoprotein A-I	Dual targeting to the BBB and neurons	BACE1 siRNA	AD	[135]
G3 DGL	Transferrin, MAN	Dual targeting to the BBB and tumor cells	Doxorubicin	Glioma	[136]
PEI-PLL	Angiopep-2	Dual targeting to the BBB and tumor cells	HSV-TK plasmid	Glioma	[137]
PEI-PLL	-	Targeting to dopaminergic neurons	VEGF plasmid	PD	[138]
Carbosilane dendrimer	-	Targeting to the primary astrocytes	siRNA against HIV-1 Nef	HIV	[139]
Amino-functional polyester dendrimers	-	Targeting to the BBB	siRNA	Astrocytes, glioma cells	[140]

PAMAM, polyamidoamine; PPI, polypropyleneimine; hGDNF, human glial-derived neurotrophic factor gene; PD, Parkinson’s disease; EGFP, enhanced green fluorescent protein; HAIYPRH (T7), a TfR-targeting peptide, having a high affinity for the TfR with a Kd of ~10 nM; pORF-hTRAIL, a therapeutic gene encoding human tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand; pGL, a report gene encoding wildtype firefly luciferase; HMGB1, high mobility group box-1; NL4, a peptide which can bind with tyrosine kinases A; RVG29, a 29-amonic acid peptide derived from rabies virus glycoprotein; DGL, dendri-grafted poly-l-lysine; SRL, Serine–Arginine–Leucine; BACE1, beta-amyloid converting enzyme 1; AD, Alzheimer’s disease; HSV-TK, herpes simplex virus type I thymidine kinase gene; VEGF, vascular endothelial growth factor; MAN, P-aminophenyl-α-d-mannopyranoside.