Recent advances in PAMAM dendrimer-based CT contrast agents for molecular imaging and theranostics of cancer

Abstract

Construction of poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimer-based nanoplatforms for tumor computed tomography (CT) imaging and theranostics has gained significant attention in recent years. The unique characteristics of PAMAM dendrimers such as monodispersity, highly branched interior, and 3-dimensional architecture allow them to be widely used in the field of biomedicine, especially for tumoral delivery of contrast agents. With the help of PAMAM dendrimers, traditional contrast agents easily accumulate at tumor sites, resulting in accurate diagnostics. Moreover, contrast agents and anticancer drugs can be integrated by PAMAM dendrimers to form multifunctional platforms for cancer theranostics. In this review, we summarize the recent advances in the construction of PAMAM dendrimer-based nanoplatforms for tumor CT imaging and theranostics, including the optimization of platform design, imaging performance, and theranostics. The challenges and future development strategies for dendrimer-based nanoplatforms towards laboratory study and practical biomedical applications are also discussed.