Dendrimers for diagnostic applications

Abstract Disease diagnosis can provide crucial information for clinical decisions that influence outcome in serious disorders. However, these diagnosis methods possess specific disadvantages with respect to sensitivity and specificity to contrast agents, tissue contrast, spatial resolution, accumulation and tissue penetration. The use of nanocarriers such as dendrimers within diagnostic systems for therapeutic or imaging agents can improve the pharmacological properties of commonly used imaging agents. Hyperbranched dendrimers permit rational manipulation of contrasting agents to optimize its physical characteristics, biodistribution, targeting, controlled release and elimination. In this systems, bioimaging agents can be either encapsulated in the dendrimer core or attached to polymer surface via covalent linkage. Dendrimer-based systems have many advantages over the conventional contrast agents, such as a prolonged blood circulation time, facile surface functionalization, an extended imaging time, the desired biocompatibility, and enhanced imaging parameters. This chapter illustrates the various advantages of using dendrimer for imaging purpose in various diagnostic and theranostic modalities.