DNA Aptamers: Reloaded Tools for Breast Cancer Therapeutics

Area of Science:

• Biotechnology
• Oncology
• Nanomedicine

Background:

• Breast cancer presents global health challenges, exacerbated by unequal access to expensive antibody-based diagnostics and therapeutics.
• Limited availability of antibody technologies, particularly in regions like Latin America, necessitates cost-effective and scalable alternatives.

Purpose of the Study:

• To critically review advances in aptamer-based theranostics for breast cancer.
• To highlight aptamers as a promising, accessible alternative to antibody-based approaches in precision oncology.

Main Methods:

• Review of aptamer technology, including SELEX (Systematic Evolution of Ligands by Exponential Enrichment).
• Analysis of aptamer characteristics: high affinity, low immunogenicity, and reproducible chemical synthesis.
• Exploration of aptamer applications in diagnostics (aptasensors, liquid biopsy, imaging) and therapeutics (targeted drug delivery).

Main Results:

• Aptamers demonstrate significant potential in sensitive aptasensor development, liquid biopsy, and nanomedicine-based imaging.
• Aptamers facilitate targeted breast cancer therapy through selective biomarker recognition and controlled drug delivery.
• Applications include extracellular vesicle capture, cancer stem cell detection, and therapeutic conjugates.

Conclusions:

• Aptamers offer advantages over antibodies, including cost-effectiveness, scalability, and reproducible production.
• Aptamer-based theranostics show promise in democratizing precision oncology, especially in resource-limited settings.
• Further research and development are crucial to fully realize the potential of aptamers in breast cancer management.