Dendrimer-mediated therapy and recovery for stroke: a comprehensive review

Stroke is a leading cause of mortality and long-term disability worldwide, with ischaemic stroke accounting for the majority of cases. Current therapies, including thrombolysis and supportive care, are limited by narrow therapeutic windows, eligibility restrictions, and the brain's limited regenerative capacity, leaving many patients with persistent neurological deficits. Nanotechnology has emerged as a promising strategy to overcome these limitations, offering targeted delivery of therapeutic agents across the blood-brain barrier and modulation of key pathological processes such as oxidative stress and neuroinflammation. Among various nanocarriers, dendrimers, highly branched, nanosized polymers with internal cavities, have demonstrated potential for targeted drug delivery and enhanced neuroprotection in experimental stroke models. This review summarises the design features, therapeutic applications, and current challenges of dendrimer-based nanocarriers, demonstrating their potential to improve stroke therapy and recovery.