Receptor mediated cellular uptake of low molecular weight dendritic polyglycerols.

The development of effective polymer-based nanocarriers which are able to target diseased tissues still remains a great challenge in current research. Dendritic polyglycerols have emerged as novel polymeric scaffolds that have demonstrated a great potential for diverse biomedical applications. These architectures have already proven their usefulness in therapeutic approaches related to multivalency, given by the synergy between the nanosized dimensions combined with the high density of functional groups. However, a continuous effort is necessary to modify and tailor polyglycerol architectures to fit the future demands of biomedical applications. The present work deals with the development of a general synthetic strategy that allows the linkage of low molecular weight dendritic polyglycerols to fluorescent dyes and cell targeting ligands. The receptor mediated cellular uptake of the polyglycerol conjugates highlight their potential to acts as new targeted nanocarriers that should be able to decrease non-specific cellular uptake.