Aptamers, the Nucleic Acid Antibodies, in Cancer Therapy

Fu, Zhen-Yan; Xiang, Jim

doi:10.3390/ijms21082793

Cited by 101 publications

(66 citation statements)

References 160 publications

(139 reference statements)

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“…DNA aptamers have demonstrated promising potential in biomedicine, especially in cancer therapy, targeting different protein targets [ 12 , 140 , 141 , 142 , 143 ].…”

Section: Anticancer Aptamersmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dimeric and Multimeric DNA Aptamers for Highly Effective Protein Recognition

et al. 2020

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Multivalent interactions frequently occur in biological systems and typically provide higher binding affinity and selectivity in target recognition than when only monovalent interactions are operative. Thus, taking inspiration by nature, bivalent or multivalent nucleic acid aptamers recognizing a specific biological target have been extensively studied in the last decades. Indeed, oligonucleotide-based aptamers are suitable building blocks for the development of highly efficient multivalent systems since they can be easily modified and assembled exploiting proper connecting linkers of different nature. Thus, substantial research efforts have been put in the construction of dimeric/multimeric versions of effective aptamers with various degrees of success in target binding affinity or therapeutic activity enhancement. The present review summarizes recent advances in the design and development of dimeric and multimeric DNA-based aptamers, including those forming G-quadruplex (G4) structures, recognizing different key proteins in relevant pathological processes. Most of the designed constructs have shown improved performance in terms of binding affinity or therapeutic activity as anti-inflammatory, antiviral, anticoagulant, and anticancer agents and their number is certainly bound to grow in the next future.

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“…DNA aptamers have demonstrated promising potential in biomedicine, especially in cancer therapy, targeting different protein targets [ 12 , 140 , 141 , 142 , 143 ].…”

Section: Anticancer Aptamersmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dimeric and Multimeric DNA Aptamers for Highly Effective Protein Recognition

et al. 2020

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“…DNA or RNA) and tumor surface receptors, with high specificity and affinity 20 . In fact, aptamers are considered nucleotide analogs to antibodies but they are cheaper to produce, have less batch-to-batch variability, lower immunogenicity, greater thermal stability, and are easier to modify 21 . However, aptamers suffer from rapid degradation by nucleases in the biological environment and their negative charge makes it difficult to select against negatively charged targets 21 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In fact, aptamers are considered nucleotide analogs to antibodies but they are cheaper to produce, have less batch-to-batch variability, lower immunogenicity, greater thermal stability, and are easier to modify 21 . However, aptamers suffer from rapid degradation by nucleases in the biological environment and their negative charge makes it difficult to select against negatively charged targets 21 . Overall, despite their increasing popularity, active targeting strategies suffer from several limitations including patient-to-patient variations in the expression of the target receptor, heterogeneous receptor expression between cancer cells, recognition selectivity, and the likely presence of such receptors on the surface of normal cells which vastly outnumbers cancer cells 6 , 22 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

MRI-traceable theranostic nanoparticles for targeted cancer treatment

Anani¹,

Rahmati²,

Nayer³

et al. 2021

Theranostics

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Current cancer therapies, including chemotherapy and radiotherapy, are imprecise, non-specific, and are often administered at high dosages - resulting in side effects that severely impact the patient's overall well-being. A variety of multifunctional, cancer-targeted nanotheranostic systems that integrate therapy, imaging, and tumor targeting functionalities in a single platform have been developed to overcome the shortcomings of traditional drugs. Among the imaging modalities used, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) provides high resolution imaging of structures deep within the body and, in combination with other imaging modalities, provides complementary diagnostic information for more accurate identification of tumor characteristics and precise guidance of anti-cancer therapy. This review article presents a comprehensive assessment of nanotheranostic systems that combine MRI-based imaging (T1 MRI, T2 MRI, and multimodal imaging) with therapy (chemo-, thermal-, gene- and combination therapy), connecting a range of topics including hybrid treatment options ( e.g. combined chemo-gene therapy), unique MRI-based imaging ( e.g. combined T1-T2 imaging, triple and quadruple multimodal imaging), novel targeting strategies ( e.g. dual magnetic-active targeting and nanoparticles carrying multiple ligands), and tumor microenvironment-responsive drug release ( e.g. redox and pH-responsive nanomaterials). With a special focus on systems that have been tested in vivo , this review is an essential summary of the most advanced developments in this rapidly evolving field.

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“…To date, nucleic acid aptamers have attracted growing interest as biosensors and diagnostic and therapeutic elements for tumor imaging due to the following properties: (i) chemical synthesis allowing for low batch variation, (ii) an ability to recognize targets with high specificity and affinity, (iii) a stability at high or low temperatures and critical pH values, and (iv) a small size that allows good tissue penetration and rapid clearance [ 13 , 14 ]. Further, aptamers can be internalized into cells to deliver payloads [ 15 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Role of RNA and DNA Aptamers in Glioblastoma Diagnosis and Therapy: A Systematic Review of the Literature

Nuzzo

Brancato

Affinito

et al. 2020

Cancers

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Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most lethal primary brain tumor of the central nervous system in adults. Despite advances in surgical and medical neuro-oncology, the median survival is about 15 months. For this reason, initial diagnosis, prognosis, and targeted therapy of GBM represent very attractive areas of study. Aptamers are short three-dimensional structures of single-stranded nucleic acids (RNA or DNA), identified by an in vitro process, named systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX), starting from a partially random oligonucleotide library. They bind to a molecular target with high affinity and specificity and can be easily modified to optimize binding affinity and selectivity. Thanks to their properties (low immunogenicity and toxicity, long stability, and low production variability), a large number of aptamers have been selected against GBM biomarkers and provide specific imaging agents and therapeutics to improve the diagnosis and treatment of GBM. However, the use of aptamers in GBM diagnosis and treatment still represents an underdeveloped topic, mainly due to limited literature in the research world. On these bases, we performed a systematic review aimed at summarizing current knowledge on the new promising DNA and RNA aptamer-based molecules for GBM diagnosis and treatment. Thirty-eight studies from 2000 were included and investigated. Seventeen involved the use of aptamers for GBM diagnosis and 21 for GBM therapy. Our findings showed that a number of DNA and RNA aptamers are promising diagnostic and therapeutic tools for GBM management.

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Aptamers, the Nucleic Acid Antibodies, in Cancer Therapy

Cited by 101 publications

References 160 publications

Dimeric and Multimeric DNA Aptamers for Highly Effective Protein Recognition

Dimeric and Multimeric DNA Aptamers for Highly Effective Protein Recognition

MRI-traceable theranostic nanoparticles for targeted cancer treatment

The Role of RNA and DNA Aptamers in Glioblastoma Diagnosis and Therapy: A Systematic Review of the Literature

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