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Updated: Dec 24, 2025

Evaluation of Polymeric Gene Delivery Nanoparticles by Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis and High-throughput Flow Cytometry
Published on: March 1, 2013
Dendrimer- and polymeric nanoparticle-aptamer bioconjugates as nonviral delivery systems: a new approach in medicine
Serge Mignani1, Xangyang Shi2, Valentin Ceña3
1Université Paris Descartes, PRES Sorbonne Paris Cité, CNRS UMR 860, Laboratoire de Chimie et de Biochimie Pharmacologiques et Toxicologique, 45, rue des Saints Peres, 75006 Paris, France; CQM - Centro de Química da Madeira, MMRG, Universidade da Madeira, Campus da Penteada, 9020-105 Funchal, Portugal.
Abstract:
Aptamers are RNA or DNA oligonucleotides interacting to form unique 3D target conformations with high affinity and specificity, and are emerging as a powerful class of ligands for therapeutic applications. In addition, dendrimers are well-defined nano-sized symmetric polymeric molecules. In this review, we provide an analysis of the use of dendrimers modified with aptamers as nonviral vectors to specifically target tumor cells. Various anticancer agents have been encapsulated with dendrimers complexing with aptamers, including epirubicin, camptothecin, Bcl-xL short hairpin (sh)RNA, and 5-fluorouracil rhodamine-labeled dextran. Other types of polymeric nanoparticle (NP)-aptamer bioconjugates have also been developed and loaded with Pt(IV) derivatives, to target specific tumor cells.

