Targeted Strategies for Treatment of Colorectal Cancer: Exploring the Use of Aptamers and Gold Nanoparticles

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second leading cause of cancer-associated mortality and accounts for ~10% of all cancer cases. Global CRC cases were estimated at 1.9 million and 930,000 deaths in 2022. Despite improved access to CRC screening and treatment, death rates are expected to drastically increase in low-resource areas, highlighting an urgent need for innovative CRC treatment interventions. Current chemotherapy presents challenges, such as poor bioavailability, multidrug resistance, and adverse bystander effects. Therefore, it is imperative to develop new and CRC-specific therapeutic strategies. Targeted therapy has significantly improved drug delivery and efficacy in the treatment of various diseases, including cancer. Although several preclinical studies are currently ongoing in cancer therapy, there is a paucity of information about targeted CRC treatment. Hence, this review highlights the promising role of aptamer- and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs)-based systems for targeted CRC treatment. This strategy leverages the unique properties of aptamers and AuNPs as drug carriers, targeting and therapeutic agents. Overall, aptamers in combination with AuNPs are projected to improve the delivery of chemotherapeutics to CRC cells. However, further studies are warranted to validate the biodistribution and safety profile of aptamer- and AuNPs-based systems as potential tools for CRC treatment.