Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by synovial joint inflammation and cartilage and bone tissue destruction. Although there exist some treatment strategies for RA, they are not...Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by synovial joint inflammation and cartilage and bone tissue destruction. Although there exist some treatment strategies for RA, they are not completely safe and effective. Therefore, it is important to develop and test new drugs for RA that specifically target inflamed/swollen joints and simultaneously attenuate other possible damages to healthy tissues. Nanotechnology can be a good alternative to consider when envisioning predse medication for treating RA. Through the use of nanopartides, it is possible to increase bioavailability and bioactivity of therapeutics and enable selective targeting to damaged joints. Herein, recent studies using nanoparticles for the treatment of RA, namely with liposomes, polymeric nanoparticles, dendrimers, and metallic nanoparticles, have been reviewed. These therapeutic strategies have shown great promise in improving the treatment over that by traditional drugs. The results of these studies confirm that feasibility of the use of nanopartides is mainly due to their biocompatibility, low toxicity, controlled release, and selective drug delivery to inflamed tissues in animal RA models. Therefore, it is possible to claim that nanotechnology will, in the near future, play a crucial role in advanced treatments and patient-specific therapies for human diseases such as RA.展开更多
Peptide dendrimers are attractive synthetic polymers and have been widely used as a new generation of biomaterials in recent years.Peptide dendrimers,as well as general dendrimers,may be synthesized to reach nano size...Peptide dendrimers are attractive synthetic polymers and have been widely used as a new generation of biomaterials in recent years.Peptide dendrimers,as well as general dendrimers,may be synthesized to reach nano sizes,and display well-defined architectures,highly-branched structures,high density of functional terminal groups,and controllable molecular weights.On the other hand,peptide dendrimers have properties similar to proteins and some special characteristics,such as good biocompatibility,water solubility and resistance to proteolytic digestion.Due to these advantages,peptide dendrimers have received considerable attention in biomedicine.This review focuses on the development of peptide dendrimers with emphasis on their applications both in diagnostics and in therapy.展开更多
文摘Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by synovial joint inflammation and cartilage and bone tissue destruction. Although there exist some treatment strategies for RA, they are not completely safe and effective. Therefore, it is important to develop and test new drugs for RA that specifically target inflamed/swollen joints and simultaneously attenuate other possible damages to healthy tissues. Nanotechnology can be a good alternative to consider when envisioning predse medication for treating RA. Through the use of nanopartides, it is possible to increase bioavailability and bioactivity of therapeutics and enable selective targeting to damaged joints. Herein, recent studies using nanoparticles for the treatment of RA, namely with liposomes, polymeric nanoparticles, dendrimers, and metallic nanoparticles, have been reviewed. These therapeutic strategies have shown great promise in improving the treatment over that by traditional drugs. The results of these studies confirm that feasibility of the use of nanopartides is mainly due to their biocompatibility, low toxicity, controlled release, and selective drug delivery to inflamed tissues in animal RA models. Therefore, it is possible to claim that nanotechnology will, in the near future, play a crucial role in advanced treatments and patient-specific therapies for human diseases such as RA.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No 50633020)the 973 Program (Grant No 2005CB623903)
文摘Peptide dendrimers are attractive synthetic polymers and have been widely used as a new generation of biomaterials in recent years.Peptide dendrimers,as well as general dendrimers,may be synthesized to reach nano sizes,and display well-defined architectures,highly-branched structures,high density of functional terminal groups,and controllable molecular weights.On the other hand,peptide dendrimers have properties similar to proteins and some special characteristics,such as good biocompatibility,water solubility and resistance to proteolytic digestion.Due to these advantages,peptide dendrimers have received considerable attention in biomedicine.This review focuses on the development of peptide dendrimers with emphasis on their applications both in diagnostics and in therapy.