Study of the selective uptake progress of aptamer-modified PLGA particles by liver cells

It is of paramount importance to study the cellular uptake processes of particles with defined surface property, especially the uptake pathways and intracellular transportation. In this study, aptamer AS1411 molecules, which are known to specifically bind the over-expressed nucleolin on cancer cell membrane, were conjugated onto bovine serum albumin-decorated poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide; PLGA, Φ400 nm) particles with a density of 1-1.7 molecule/10 nm(2). The aptamer-modified PLGA particles were preferably ingested by liver cancer cells with higher amount and faster rate. The clathrin-mediated endocytosis and macropinocytosis pathways played a more important role in uptake of the aptamer modified particles.