Dendrimer throws a blanket on RA

A research group in France has developed an azabisphosphonate-capped dendrimer that blocks inflammation, cartilage degradation and bone erosion in mouse models of rheumatoid arthritis.¹ The group is getting the compound ready for clinical trials.

Dendrimers are highly branched, large molecules that have been evaluated as imaging agents, drug delivery vehicles and therapeutics. A dendrimer's properties are primarily controlled by functional groups on its surface, but other parts of the molecule also can contribute...