Dendrimers for pulmonary delivery: current perspectives and future challenges

Dendrimers and dendrimer-based delivery systems are potential biomedicines in the rapidly growing field of nanomedicine. At present, dendrimers are drawing attention in the scientific domain due to their unique structural features, physiological properties and biological attributes. These multifunctional nanomaterials provide unique platforms for targeting, imaging, diagnostics and theranostics. The rationale of this article is to offer insight into the pulmonary delivery of these multifunctional nanomaterials. This review examines reports on inhaled dendrimers which have been published in the last few years. The article begins by describing the relevant background knowledge of dendrimers, dendrimer synthesis schemes and their potential advantages as nanomaterials. It progresses to the pulmonary applications of dendrimers, with special emphasis on pressurized metered-dose inhalers (pMDIs), soft mist inhalers (SMI), nebulizers and dry powder inhalers (DPI). Additionally, this review article contains a dedicated section discussing the biocompatibility challenges and clinical outcomes of dendrimer-based nanotherapeutics. In summary, this review is the first comprehensive account of inhaled dendrimers to appear in recent years.