DENDRIMER: A NOVEL DRUG DELIVERY S YS TEM

Dendrimer as a drug delivery agent is a promising, safe and selective drug delivery option. It s highly selective nature for targeting the desired tissue is the most essential property and holds a promising future for the treatment of several disorders. Its other properties like very small size, polyvalency, monodispersity, stability make it an appropriate carrier for delivering drugs with precision and selectivity. Dendrimers are being used as dru g delivery systems for various drugs like anticancer drugs (methotrexate), drug for prevention of HIV, enhancing bioavailability of pilocarpine for ocular drug delivery, et al. Dendrimer as a drug delivery system is based on the approach of sending a nanoparticle (10-9) to the body, loaded with drug. The drug might be loaded on its terminal surface or encapsulated within the branches of a dendrimer. Dendrimers help in achieving increased bioavailability, sustained, controlled as well as targeted release of drug. There is reduction in the amount of drug and systemic toxicity while the therapeutic efficacy increases. This approach as a drug delivery system certainly promises a reliable, safe, selective and precise method of drug delivery. Thus present review focuses on the fundamentals of dendrimers and their use as drug delivery agents in treatment of disorders.