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Nucleic Acid Aptamers as Potential Therapeutic and Diagnostic Agents for Lymphoma
Ka-To Shum1, Jiehua Zhou1, John J Rossi2
1Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, CA, USA.
Abstract:
Lymphomas are cancers that arise from white blood cells and usually present as solid tumors. Treatment of lymphoma often involves chemotherapy, and can also include radiotherapy and/or bone marrow transplantation. There is an un-questioned need for more effective therapies and diagnostic tool for lymphoma. Aptamers are single stranded DNA or RNA oligonucleotides whose three-dimensional structures are dictated by their sequences. The immense diversity in function and structure of nucleic acids enable numerous aptamers to be generated through an iterative in vitro selection technique known as Systematic Evolution of Ligands by EXponential enrichment (SELEX). Aptamers have several biochemical properties that make them attractive tools for use as potential diagnostic and pharmacologic agents. Isolated aptamers may directly inhibit the function of target proteins, or they can also be formulated for use as delivery agents for other therapeutic or imaging cargoes. More complex aptamer identification methods, using whole cancer cells (Cell-SELEX), may identify novel targets and aptamers to affect them. This review focuses on recent advances in the use of nucleic acid aptamers as diagnostic and therapeutic agents and as targeted delivery carriers that are relevant to lymphoma. Some representative examples are also discussed.
Insights
Aptamers, or nucleic acid ligands, show promise as novel diagnostic and therapeutic agents for lymphoma. These molecules can be engineered to target cancer cells, offering new treatment and diagnostic strategies.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Molecular Biology
- Oncology
Background:
- Lymphomas are cancers originating from white blood cells, often presenting as solid tumors.
- Current lymphoma treatments include chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and bone marrow transplantation, highlighting the need for improved therapies.
- Aptamers are single-stranded DNA or RNA molecules with diverse structures and functions, generated via Systematic Evolution of Ligands by EXponential enrichment (SELEX).
Purpose of the Study:
- To review recent advancements in the application of nucleic acid aptamers for lymphoma.
- To explore aptamers as diagnostic agents, therapeutic agents, and targeted delivery carriers for lymphoma.
Main Methods:
- Systematic Evolution of Ligands by EXponential enrichment (SELEX) for aptamer generation.
- Cell-SELEX for identifying novel targets and aptamers against whole cancer cells.
- Review of literature on aptamer applications in lymphoma diagnosis and therapy.
Main Results:
- Aptamers possess biochemical properties suitable for diagnostic and pharmacologic applications in cancer.
- Aptamers can directly inhibit target protein function or serve as delivery vehicles for therapeutic or imaging payloads.
- Cell-based SELEX methods can uncover new aptamers and targets relevant to lymphoma.
Conclusions:
- Nucleic acid aptamers represent a promising frontier for developing advanced diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for lymphoma.
- The versatility of aptamers allows for direct therapeutic intervention, targeted drug delivery, and enhanced diagnostic capabilities in lymphoma treatment.
- Continued research into aptamer technology holds significant potential for revolutionizing lymphoma care.
