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Aptamer Chimeras for Therapeutic Delivery: The Challenging Perspectives
Carla Lucia Esposito1, Silvia Catuogno2, Gerolama Condorelli3
1Istituto di Endocrinologia ed Oncologia Sperimentale "G. Salvatore", Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), 80145 Naples, Italy. c.esposito@ieos.cnr.it.
Genes
|November 3, 2018
Summary
Nucleic acid aptamers are effective therapeutic delivery systems. This review explores bispecific and multifunctional aptamer chimeras for targeted delivery of nucleic acid and peptide therapeutics, highlighting potential and challenges.
Area of Science:
- Biotechnology
- Molecular Medicine
- Drug Delivery Systems
Background:
- Nucleic acid-based aptamers offer precise targeting capabilities for therapeutic applications.
- Aptamers can specifically recognize diseased cells, minimizing off-target effects on healthy tissues.
- Their unique properties position them as leading targeting moieties in modern medicine.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review recent advancements in bispecific and multifunctional aptamer therapeutic chimeras.
- To discuss aptamer-mediated delivery of nucleic acid and peptide therapeutics.
- To highlight the potential, versatility, objectives, and challenges of aptamer-based therapies.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of recent scientific contributions on aptamer therapeutic chimeras.
- Analysis of key examples of aptamer-mediated delivery systems.
- Synthesis of information on achieved objectives and identified challenges.
Main Results:
- Aptamers demonstrate significant potential as versatile carriers for diverse therapeutic payloads.
- Bispecific and multifunctional aptamer chimeras enable enhanced targeting and therapeutic efficacy.
- Successful examples showcase aptamer-mediated delivery of both nucleic acid and peptide-based drugs.
Conclusions:
- Aptamer therapeutic chimeras represent a promising frontier in targeted drug delivery.
- Further research and development are needed to overcome existing challenges and fully realize their potential.
- Aptamers offer a versatile platform for developing next-generation targeted therapies.
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