Modeling the interaction between dendrimers and nucleic acids: a molecular perspective through hierarchical scales

Cationic dendrimers are promising nanocarriers for gene delivery thanks to their ability to establish strong interactions with oppositely charged strands of DNA and siRNA and to promote their aggregation. The binding between dendrimers and nucleic acids is typically a complex process that involves various types of interactions at different scales. To design efficient dendrimer candidates for DNA and siRNA binding it is necessary to have a detailed understanding of their interactions with oligonucleotides in the solvent. Molecular simulation can support experimental work, providing a privileged point of view on the aggregation process. This Minireview discusses recent computational efforts to unravel dendrimer-oligonucleotide binding, and proposes a perspective of the multiscale aggregation process based on hierarchy and on the transformations of the interacting "molecular units" following intermolecular interactions.