Metallodendrimers as a promising tool in the biomedical field: An overview

Metallodendrimers have emerged in recent years as promising strategies in biomedicine. These molecules of nanometric size have attracted widespread attention, combining, in a single molecule, the properties of the dendrimers with those of the transition metals. This review includes a compilation of a wide range of metallodendrimers with dendritic skeletons of different nature and topology, functionalized with a great variety of metal complexes, which have proven to be powerful tools in the treatment of different diseases based on the promising results obtained through in vitro and in vivo experiments in recent years. Interesting results have been obtained in cancer treatment, drug delivery, gene therapy, medical imaging and against infectious diseases, as antibacterial and antiviral agents. The properties arising from the combination of different metals and skeletons will be shown and discussed, as well as the latest results achieved.