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Aptamers are single-stranded DNA or RNA with 20-100 nucleotides in length that
can specifically bind to target molecules via formed three-dimensional structures. These innovative
targeting molecules have attracted an increasing interest in the biomedical field. Compared
to traditional protein antibodies, aptamers have several advantages, such as small size,
high binding affinity, specificity, good biocompatibility, high stability and low immunogenicity,
which all contribute to their wide application in the biomedical field. Aptamers can bind
to the receptors on the cell membrane and mediate themselves or conjugated nanoparticles to
enter into cells. Therefore, aptamers can be served as ideal targeting ligands for drug delivery.
Since their excellent properties, different aptamer-mediated drug delivery systems had been
developed for cancer therapy. This review provides a brief overview of recent advances in
drug delivery systems based on aptamers. The advantages, challenges and future prospectives
are also discussed.
Berberine, a quaternary ammonium protoberberine alkaloid with an isoquinoline scaffold isolated from medicinal herbs, exhibits a wide spectrum of pharmacological activities. Berberine has been used in traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurvedic medicine. However, it has poor bioavailability, which seriously limits its application and development. The chemical transformation of natural products is an effective method to improve pharmacological activities. Researches have been carried out on the modification of berberine to obtain better pharmacological properties. In this paper, the structural modifications of berberine for different biological activities and its underlying mechanisms are reviewed.
All the results demonstrated that compound B3 and B5 showed significant higher anti-cancer ability than BBR, and compound B3 is a promising anticancer drug candidate.
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