Aptamers: Features, Synthesis and Applications

Cationic Carbosilane Dendrimers for Apmnkq2 Aptamer Transfection in Breast Cancer: An Alternative to Traditional Transfectants

Transfection efficiency is a critical parameter in gene therapy and molecular biology, representing the success rate at which nucleic acids are introduced and expressed in target cells. The combination of aptamers with nanotechnology‐based delivery systems has demonstrated remarkable improvements in the transfection efficiency of therapeutic agents and holds significant potential for advancing gene therapy and the development of targeted treatments for various diseases, including cancer. In this work, cationic carbosilane dendritic systems are presented as an alternative to commercial transfection agents, demonstrating an increase in transfection efficiency when used for the internalization of apMNKQ2, an aptamer selected against a target in cancer. Their potential therapeutic use has been evaluated in breast cancer cell lines, MDA‐MB‐468 and MDA‐MB‐231, studying the cytotoxicity of the nanoconjugate, the internalization process, and its effect on cellular migration processes.

Drug-Loaded Bioscaffolds for Osteochondral Regeneration

Osteochondral defect is a complex tissue loss disease caused by arthritis, high-energy trauma, and many other reasons. Due to the unique structural characteristics of osteochondral tissue, the repair process is sophisticated and involves the regeneration of both hyaline cartilage and subchondral bone. However, the current clinical treatments often fall short of achieving the desired outcomes. Tissue engineering bioscaffolds, especially those created via three-dimensional (3D) printing, offer promising solutions for osteochondral defects due to their precisely controllable 3D structures. The microstructure of 3D-printed bioscaffolds provides an excellent physical environment for cell adhesion and proliferation, as well as nutrient transport. Traditional 3D-printed bioscaffolds offer mere physical stimulation, while drug-loaded 3D bioscaffolds accelerate the tissue repair process by synergistically combining drug therapy with physical stimulation. In this review, the physiological characteristics of osteochondral tissue and current treatments of osteochondral defect were reviewed. Subsequently, the latest progress in drug-loaded bioscaffolds was discussed and highlighted in terms of classification, characteristics, and applications. The perspectives of scaffold design, drug control release, and biosafety were also discussed. We hope this article will serve as a valuable reference for the design and development of osteochondral regenerative bioscaffolds and pave the way for the use of drug-loaded bioscaffolds in clinical therapy.

Evolution of a bispecific G-quadruplex-forming circular aptamer to block IL-6/sIL-6R interaction for inflammation inhibition

IL-6 (interleukin-6) is an essential cytokine that participates in many inflammatory and immune responses, and disrupting the interaction between IL-6 and its receptor sIL-6R (soluble form of IL-6 receptor) represents a promising treatment strategy for inflammation and related diseases. Herein we report the first-ever effort of evolving a bispecific circular aptamer, named CIL-6A6-1, that is capable of binding both IL-6 and sIL-6R with nanomolar affinities and is stable in serum for more than 48 hours. CIL-6A6-1 can effectively block the IL-6/sIL-6R interaction and significantly inhibit cell inflammation. Most importantly, this bispecific aptamer is much more effective than aptamers that bind IL-6 and sIL-6R alone as well as tocilizumab, a commercially available humanized monoclonal antibody against sIL-6R, highlighting the advantage of selecting bispecific circular aptamers as molecular tools for anti-inflammation therapy. Interestingly, CIL-6A6-1 is predicted to adopt a unique structural fold with two G-quadruplex motifs capped by a long single-stranded region, which differs from all known DNA aptamers. This unique structural fold may also contribute to its excellent functionality and high stability in biological complex media. We anticipate that our study will represent a significant step forward towards demonstrating the practical utility of bispecific DNA aptamers for therapeutic applications.

Emerging Biohybrids of Aptamer-Based Nano-Biosensing Technologies for Effective Early Cancer Detection

Cancer is a leading global cause of mortality, which underscores the imperative of early detection for improved patient outcomes. Biorecognition molecules, especially aptamers, have emerged as highly effective tools for early and accurate cancer cell identification. Aptamers, with superior versatility in synthesis and modification, offer enhanced binding specificity and stability compared with conventional antibodies. Hence, this article reviews diagnostic strategies employing aptamer-based biohybrid nano-biosensing technologies, focusing on their utility in detecting cancer biomarkers and abnormal cells. Recent developments include the synthesis of nano-aptamers using diverse nanomaterials, such as metallic nanoparticles, metal oxide nanoparticles, carbon-derived substances, and biohybrid nanostructures. The integration of these nanomaterials with aptamers significantly enhances sensitivity and specificity, promising innovative and efficient approaches for cancer diagnosis. This convergence of nanotechnology with aptamer research holds the potential to revolutionize cancer treatment through rapid, accurate, and non-invasive diagnostic methods.

Aptamers for the Delivery of Plant-Based Compounds: A Review

Natural compounds have a high potential for the treatment of various conditions, including infections, inflammatory diseases, and cancer. However, they usually present poor pharmacokinetics, low specificity, and even toxicity, which limits their use. Therefore, targeted drug delivery systems, typically composed of a carrier and a targeting ligand, can enhance natural product selectivity and effectiveness. Notably, aptamers-short RNA or single-stranded DNA molecules-have gained attention as promising ligands in targeted drug delivery since they are simple to synthesize and modify, and they present high tissue permeability, stability, and a wide array of available targets. The combination of natural products, namely plant-based compounds, with a drug delivery system utilizing aptamers as targeting agents represents an emerging strategy that has the potential to broaden its applications. This review discusses the potential of aptamers as targeting agents in the delivery of natural compounds, as well as new trends and developments in their utilization in the field of medicine.

Aptamers: A Cutting-Edge Approach for Gram-Negative Bacterial Pathogen Identification

Early and accurate diagnoses of pathogenic microorganisms is essential to correctly identify diseases, treating infections, and tracking disease outbreaks associated with microbial infections, to develop precautionary measures that allow a fast and effective response in epidemics and pandemics, thus improving public health. Aptamers are a class of synthetic nucleic acid molecules with the potential to be used for medical purposes, since they can be directed towards any target molecule. Currently, the use of aptamers has increased because they are a useful tool in the detection of specific targets. We present a brief review of the use of aptamers to detect and identify bacteria or even some toxins with clinical importance. This work describes the advances in the technology of aptamers, with the purpose of providing knowledge to develop new aptamers for diagnoses and treatment of different diseases caused by infectious microorganisms.