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Aptamers as Versatile Ligands for Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Applications
Baozhang Guan1, Xingwang Zhang2
1Department of Nephrology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou 510630, People's Republic of China.
International Journal of Nanomedicine
|February 29, 2020
Summary
Aptamers, or chemical antibodies, offer precise targeting for smart biomedical systems. Their use in therapies and diagnostics shows significant promise, especially in nanomedicine applications.
Area of Science:
- Biotechnology and Biomedical Engineering
- Molecular Biology and Biochemistry
Background:
- Aptamers are synthetic nucleic acid or peptide molecules that selectively bind to specific targets.
- They function as high-affinity ligands, analogous to antibodies, for various biomedical applications.
- Their specificity and affinity make them valuable tools in molecular recognition.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review recent advancements in aptamer applications within biomedical and pharmaceutical fields.
- To highlight the potential of aptamers in theranostics, biosensing, bioimaging, and drug delivery.
- To emphasize the advantages of aptamer-guided systems, particularly nanomedicines.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of recent studies on aptamer applications.
- Analysis of aptamer-based systems for therapy, diagnosis, and drug delivery.
- Focus on aptamer functionalization with drugs, sensors, and nanocarriers.
Main Results:
- Aptamers demonstrate high target affinity and specificity, crucial for smart system construction.
- Aptamer-guided nanomedicines show improved outcomes compared to aptamer-free approaches.
- Significant progress has been made in aptamer-based theranostics, biosensing, and bioimaging.
Conclusions:
- Aptamers are versatile targeting ligands with broad potential in medicine and pharmacy.
- Their ability to be functionalized enables diverse applications, from diagnostics to targeted drug delivery.
- The development of aptamer-based theranostics and nanomedicines represents a promising frontier.
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