Aptamers as Anticancer Agents

A two-component active targeting theranostic agent based on graphene quantum dots

“…A similar increase has been reported in the pegylation of graphene oxide, which is attributed to the opening of epoxide groups and hydrolysis of esters on graphene oxide during the treatment. [26][27][28][29]43 To confirm the secondary structure, circular dichroism (CD) spectra of AS1411 were collected before and after the conjugation (Fig. Fluorescence spectroscopy measurements show that the GQD emission peaks at B535 nm, which are slightly blueshifted to B530 nm for AS1411-GQDs (l em = 480 nm, Fig.…”

“…It is known that AS1411 can form a variety of possible quadruplex structures, which are essential for its biological functionalization. [26][27][28][29]43 To confirm the secondary structure, circular dichroism (CD) spectra of AS1411 were collected before and after the conjugation (Fig. 2d).…”

“…[26][27][28][29] This aptamer can inhibit proliferation and induce cell death in many types of cancer cells but has little effect on normal cells. Upon irradiation with two different lasers, this agent exhibits excellent capability of selective tumour cell imaging and synergistic cytotoxicity towards cancer cells.…”

“…AS1411 is a 26-base guanine-rich short oligonucleotide which can bind nucleolin specifically, highlyexpressed in cancer cells. [26][27][28][29] This aptamer can inhibit proliferation and induce cell death in many types of cancer cells but has little effect on normal cells. AS1411 has been conjugated with various nanoparticles, ranging from 20-200 nm, to facilitate specific cancer cell uptake.…”