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Aptamers as Potential Therapeutic Tools for Ovarian Cancer: Advancements and Challenges
Wojciech Szymanowski1, Anna Szymanowska2, Anna Bielawska1
1Department of Biotechnology, Medical University of Bialystok, 15-222 Bialystok, Poland.
Abstract:
Ovarian cancer (OC) is the most common lethal gynecologic cause of death in women worldwide, with a high mortality rate and increasing incidence. Despite advancements in the treatment, most OC patients still die from their disease due to late-stage diagnosis, the lack of effective diagnostic methods, and relapses. Aptamers, synthetic, short single-stranded oligonucleotides, have emerged as promising anticancer therapeutics. Their ability to selectively bind to target molecules, including cancer-related proteins and receptors, has revolutionized drug discovery and biomarker identification. Aptamers offer unique insights into the molecular pathways involved in cancer development and progression. Moreover, they show immense potential as drug delivery systems, enabling targeted delivery of therapeutic agents to cancer cells while minimizing off-target effects and reducing systemic toxicity. In the context of OC, the integration of aptamers with non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) presents an opportunity for precise and efficient gene targeting. Additionally, the conjugation of aptamers with nanoparticles allows for accurate and targeted delivery of ncRNAs to specific cells, tissues, or organs. In this review, we will summarize the potential use and challenges associated with the use of aptamers alone or aptamer-ncRNA conjugates, nanoparticles, and multivalent aptamer-based therapeutics for the treatment of OC.
Insights
Aptamers offer new hope for ovarian cancer (OC) treatment by enabling targeted drug delivery and gene therapy. This review explores aptamer-based strategies, including conjugates with non-coding RNAs and nanoparticles, for improved OC management.
Area of Science:
- Biotechnology
- Oncology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Ovarian cancer (OC) is a leading cause of cancer death in women, often diagnosed late, leading to poor outcomes.
- Current treatments face challenges due to late diagnosis, lack of effective diagnostics, and disease relapse.
- Aptamers, short oligonucleotide molecules, show promise as targeted anticancer therapeutics and diagnostic tools.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the potential applications of aptamers in ovarian cancer (OC) treatment.
- To explore aptamer-based strategies, including aptamer-non-coding RNA (ncRNA) conjugates and nanoparticle delivery systems.
- To discuss the challenges and future directions of aptamer-based therapeutics for OC.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of aptamer applications in ovarian cancer research.
- Analysis of aptamer-ncRNA conjugates for targeted gene therapy.
- Evaluation of aptamer-nanoparticle conjugates for drug delivery.
Main Results:
- Aptamers demonstrate high specificity for cancer biomarkers, revolutionizing drug discovery and diagnostics.
- Aptamer-ncRNA conjugates enable precise gene targeting in OC.
- Nanoparticle-aptamer conjugates facilitate targeted delivery of therapeutics to OC cells, reducing toxicity.
Conclusions:
- Aptamers hold significant potential for advancing ovarian cancer treatment through targeted therapy and diagnostics.
- Combining aptamers with ncRNAs and nanoparticles offers innovative strategies for precise and effective OC management.
- Further research is needed to overcome challenges and fully realize the therapeutic potential of aptamer-based approaches in OC.
