Multifaceted arsenal in SELEX nanomedicine

Area of Science:

• Molecular nanomedicine
• Biotechnology
• Drug delivery systems

Background:

• Aptamers are oligonucleotide tools for specific binding to cellular targets.
• They offer advantages over passive tumor targeting (EPR effect) for enhanced drug delivery.
• The Systematic Evolution of Ligands by Exponential Enrichment (SELEX) process yields these versatile molecules.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the therapeutic and diagnostic applications of SELEX-derived aptamers in nanomedicine.
• To highlight their role in precision cancer therapies.
• To discuss challenges and future prospects of aptamers in medicine.

Main Methods:

• Systematic Evolution of Ligands by Exponential Enrichment (SELEX) for aptamer development.
• Review of literature on aptamer applications in nanomedicine.
• Analysis of aptamer-based drug delivery, diagnostics, and theranostics.

Main Results:

• Aptamers enable precise drug delivery, enhancing therapeutic efficacy and minimizing side effects.
• They function as effective delivery vehicles for various therapeutic molecules and as antibody-like ligands.
• Aptamers show promise in diagnostics, theranostics, vaccines, tissue engineering, and regenerative medicine.

Conclusions:

• SELEX-derived aptamers are versatile tools in nanomedicine with significant potential in precision cancer therapy.
• Challenges like degradation and clinical translation need to be addressed for broader application.
• Future research directions include aptamers in vaccines, tissue engineering, and regenerative medicine.