Search for a command to run...
A brain tumour is an uncontrolled cell proliferation, forming a mass of tissue composed of cells that grow and divide abnormally, seemingly beyond the control of the body’s normal regulatory processes. Approximately 70% of primary malignant brain tumors diagnosed each year originate from glial cells. The physiological bloodbrain barrier (BBB) impairs drug distribution to the tumour microenvironment and complicates the treatment of malignant brain tumours. Most of the conventional chemotherapeutics lack specificity and lead to serious systemic toxicity. However, nanocarriers have shown efficient therapeutic efficacy in delivering medications to the brain tumour cells. The targeting of nanocarriers to the tumour sites can be achieved by active or passive targeting. The dimensions and the physicochemical properties of the nanocarriers significantly affect brain permeability. Among various nanotools, branched PAMAM, PPL, and PPI dendrimers possess great efficacy in transporting chemotherapeutic agents across the BBB for treating brain tumours. This chapter discusses the various generations of dendrimers, their synthesis techniques, and the passive and active targeting strategies used to deliver chemotherapeutics to the tumour sites. The chapter also includes dendrimers as diagnostics and contrast agents in brain tumour diagnosis. Dendrimers have been established as remarkable in diagnosing and treating brain tumours, as they can transport the therapeutically active agents across the BBB to the cancer cells after systemic administration. Different dendrimers like PAMAM, PLL, PPI, carbosilanes, and phosphorus-based are used to develop novel therapeutics having prolonged and controlled drug release, immunotherapy, and anticancer activity. This chapter can provide remarkable guidance to scientists working on brain-targeting delivery systems.