Dendrimers, which are highly branched, multivalent and monodisperse polymers, have received continuous interest in recent years because of the global demand for new nanomolecules that are useful in advanced technology and medicine. While dendrimers are advantageous for many highly specialised applications, the high polyvalency of higher-generation dendrimers requires, however, well-controlled, target-tailored regioselective chemical engineering. The structural evolution of dendrimers – from simple, monofunctional molecules to the more complex, multifunctional compounds – is inextricably associated with a continuous improvement in traditional synthetic strategies, as well as the development of new synthetic tools. The purpose of this review is to provide insight into currently available synthetic methods that yield dendrimers with various morphologies, placing emphasis on the evaluation of their advantages and limitations. In particular, we will review current efforts that focus on simplifying and optimising the existing methods and the development of new strategies that permit control over the targeted introduction of various functionalities in one or more selected areas of the molecule.

Invasive fungal infections are associated with high mortality rates, despite appropriate antifungal therapy. Limited therapeutic options, resistance development and the high mortality of invasive fungal infections brought about more concern triggering the search for new compounds capable of interfering with fungal viability and virulence. In this context, peptides gained attention as promising candidates for the antimycotics development. Variety of structural and functional characteristics identified for various natural antifungal peptides makes them excellent starting points for design novel drug candidates. Current review provides a brief overview of natural and synthetic antifungal peptides.