Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 17, 2026
A Flow Cytometry-Based Cell Surface Protein Binding Assay for Assessing Selectivity and Specificity of an Anticancer Aptamer
Published on: September 13, 2022
Aptamers as potential therapeutic agents for ovarian cancer
Justin Liam Henri1, Joanna Macdonald1, Mia Strom1
1School of Medicine and Centre for Molecular and Medical Research, Deakin University, 75 Pigdons Road, Waurn Ponds, Victoria 3216, Australia.
Abstract:
Current therapy for ovarian cancer typically involves indiscriminate chemotherapies that can have severe off target effects on healthy tissue and are still plagued by aggressive recurrence. Recent shifts towards targeted therapies offer the possibility of circumventing the obstacles experienced by these traditional treatments. While antibodies are the pioneering agents in targeted therapies, clinical experience has demonstrated that their antitumor efficacy is limited due to their high immunogenicity, large molecular size, and costly and laborious production. In contrast, nucleic acid based chemical antibodies, also known as aptamers, are ideal for this application given their small size, lack of immunogenicity and in vitro production. As aptamers have begun to demonstrate their promise through targeting Epithelial Cell Adhesion Molecule (EpCAM), as well as a number of ovarian cancer biomarkers, in in vivo and in vitro models, their clinical applicability is slowly being realised. This review explores some of the current progress of aptamers targeting cancer biomarkers and their potential role as ovarian cancer therapeutics.
Insights
Aptamers, a novel nucleic acid-based therapy, show promise in treating ovarian cancer by targeting specific biomarkers like EpCAM, offering a safer alternative to traditional chemotherapy.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Molecular Biology
- Oncology
Background:
- Current ovarian cancer treatments, like chemotherapy, are often indiscriminate, causing severe side effects and leading to aggressive recurrence.
- Targeted therapies offer a promising alternative, but traditional antibodies face limitations such as immunogenicity and high production costs.
- Aptamers, or nucleic acid-based antibodies, present an advantageous alternative due to their small size, low immunogenicity, and cost-effective in vitro production.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the current progress of aptamers in targeting cancer biomarkers.
- To explore the potential of aptamers as a novel therapeutic strategy for ovarian cancer.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of studies investigating aptamers against ovarian cancer biomarkers.
- Analysis of in vitro and in vivo models demonstrating aptamer efficacy.
- Evaluation of aptamer characteristics relevant to therapeutic applications.
Main Results:
- Aptamers have shown promise in targeting key ovarian cancer biomarkers, including Epithelial Cell Adhesion Molecule (EpCAM).
- Preclinical studies indicate the potential of aptamers in both in vitro and in vivo ovarian cancer models.
- Aptamers exhibit favorable properties for therapeutic use, such as small size and lack of immunogenicity.
Conclusions:
- Aptamers represent a viable and promising therapeutic approach for ovarian cancer.
- Further research and clinical development of aptamers could overcome limitations of current ovarian cancer treatments.
- Targeting cancer biomarkers with aptamers offers a new avenue for effective and safer ovarian cancer therapy.
