Dendrimers as Innovative Radiopharmaceuticals in Cancer Radionanotherapy

Radiotherapy is one of the most commonly used cancer treatments, with an estimate of 40% success that could be improved further if more efficient targeting and retention of radiation at the tumor site were achieved. This review focuses on the use of dendrimers in radionanotherapy, an emerging techno...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Biomacromolecules 2016-10, Vol.17 (10), p.3103-3114
Main Authors: Liko, Flonja, Hindré, François, Fernandez-Megia, Eduardo
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Boron Neutron Capture Therapy
Dendrimers - therapeutic use
Drug Delivery Systems
Humans
Nanomedicine
Neoplasms - pathology
Neoplasms - radiotherapy
Radiopharmaceuticals - chemistry
Radiopharmaceuticals - therapeutic use
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Summary:Radiotherapy is one of the most commonly used cancer treatments, with an estimate of 40% success that could be improved further if more efficient targeting and retention of radiation at the tumor site were achieved. This review focuses on the use of dendrimers in radionanotherapy, an emerging technology aimed to improve the efficiency of radiotherapy by implementing nanovectorization, an already established praxis in drug delivery and diagnosis. The labeling of dendrimers with radionuclides also aims to reduce the dose of radiolabeled materials and, hence, their toxicity and tumor resistance. Examples of radiolabeled dendrimers with alpha, beta, and Auger electron emitters are commented, along with the use of dendrimers in boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT). The conjugation of radiolabeled dendrimers to monoclonal antibodies for a more efficient targeting and the application of dendrimers in gene delivery radiotherapy are also covered.
ISSN:1525-7797
1526-4602
DOI:10.1021/acs.biomac.6b00929