Dendritic Polymers in Tissue Engineering: Contributions of PAMAM, PPI PEG and PEI to Injury Restoration and Bioactive Scaffold Evolution

The capability of radially polymerized bio-dendrimers and hyperbranched polymers for medical applications is well established. Perhaps the most important implementations are those that involve interactions with the regenerative mechanisms of cells. In general, they are non-toxic or exhibit very low toxicity. Thus, they allow unhindered and, in many cases, faster cell proliferation, a property that renders them ideal materials for tissue engineering scaffolds. Their resemblance to proteins permits the synthesis of derivatives that mimic collagen and elastin or are capable of biomimetic hydroxy apatite production. Due to their distinctive architecture (core, internal branches, terminal groups), dendritic polymers may play many roles. The internal cavities may host cell differentiation genes and antimicrobial protection drugs. Suitable terminal groups may modify the surface chemistry of cells and modulate the external membrane charge promoting cell adhesion and tissue assembly. They may also induce polymer cross-linking for healing implementation in the eyes, skin, and internal organ wounds. The review highlights all the different categories of hard and soft tissues that may be remediated with their contribution. The reader will also be exposed to the incorporation of methods for establishment of biomaterials, functionalization strategies, and the synthetic paths for organizing assemblies from biocompatible building blocks and natural metabolites.

Automated summary

Radially polymerized bio-dendrimers and hyperbranched polymers have been proven to have great potential in medical applications, particularly in interacting with cell regenerative mechanisms. They are non-toxic or exhibit very low toxicity, allowing for unhindered cell proliferation and making them ideal materials for tissue engineering scaffolds. Their resemblance to proteins enables the synthesis of derivatives that imitate collagen, elastin, or biomimetic hydroxy apatite. Dendritic polymers with their distinctive architecture can serve various functions, such as hosting cell differentiation genes, providing antimicrobial protection, modifying cell surface chemistry, and inducing polymer cross-linking for healing wounds in different tissues.