Aptamer-Gated Nanoparticles for Smart Drug Delivery

Abstract

Aptamers are functional nucleic acid sequences which can bind specific targets. An artificial combinatorial methodology can identify aptamer sequences for any target molecule, from ions to whole cells. Drug delivery systems seek to increase efficacy and reduce side-effects by concentrating the therapeutic agents at specific disease sites in the body. This is generally achieved by specific targeting of inactivated drug molecules. Aptamers which can bind to various cancer cell types selectively and with high affinity have been exploited in a variety of drug delivery systems for therapeutic purposes. Recent progress in selection of cell-specific aptamers has provided new opportunities in targeted drug delivery. Especially functionalization of nanoparticles with such aptamers has drawn major attention in the biosensor and biomedical areas. Moreover, nucleic acids are recognized as an attractive building materials in nanomachines because of their unique molecular recognition properties and structural features. A active controlled delivery of drugs once targeted to a disease site is a major research challenge. Stimuli-responsive gating is one way of achieving controlled release of nanoparticle cargoes. Recent reports incorporate the structural properties of aptamers in controlled release systems of drug delivering nanoparticles. In this review, the strategies for using functional nucleic acids in creating smart drug delivery devices will be explained. The main focus will be on aptamer-incorporated nanoparticle systems for drug delivery purposes in order to assess the future potential of aptamers in the therapeutic area. Special emphasis will be given to the very recent progress in controlled drug release based on molecular gating achieved with aptamers.

Cytotoxic Activity of Acidic Ribosome Inactivating Proteins Mirabilis Jalapa L. (Rip Mj-C) Nanoparticle Formulated With Low-Chain Chitosan and Low-Methylated Pectin

“…The particle size result showed that the result of the formulation was indeed nanoparticle since molecule can be identified as nanoparticles when it has a particle size between 10-1000 nm [16]. The size of the nanoparticles is affected by the concentration of active ingredients, type of polymers used in the formulation, the speed of cross-linked material addition and stirring speed during formation [15].…”

“…This was exemplified by conjugation of ribonucleic acid (RNA) A10 to poly (D,L-lactic-co-glycolic acid)-b-poly(ethylene glycol) (PLGA-b-PEG) nanoparticles containing cisplatin and dual-aptamer based doxorubicin delivery system for prostate cancer targeted therapy [13][14][15]. Other molecule target that might be used is epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM), a monomer membrane glycoprotein found within the normal human epithelium.…”

Synthesis of a Novel Nanoencapsulated n-Eicosane Phase Change Material with Inorganic Silica Shell Material for Enhanced Thermal Properties through Sol-Gel Route

“…Most of inorganic materials show a better rigidity and strength than the polymeric ones, and therefore, a highstrength inorganic shell material not only improves the thermal transfer performance of a PCM system but also increases the durability and working reliability of encapsulated PCMs [27,28]. Recently, silica materials as carriers in controlled drug release, has gained growing interest due to their several attractive features such as stable structure, high surface area, tunable pore sizes, well-defined surface properties, nontoxic nature [29], and good biocompatibility [29]. Moreover, these silica spheres expedite a high storage capacity, chemical, thermal, excellent thermal conductivity, and environmentally inert characteristics [30].…”

Aptamer-Functionalized Silica Nanoparticles for Targeted Cancer Therapy

“…Aptamers are functional single-stranded DNA and RNA sequences which can recognize and bind to specific targets [22]. They can bind to a wide range of molecules such as amino acids, peptides, proteins, drugs, growth cofactors, and whole cells with high specificity and high affinity [22][23][24].…”

“…They can bind to a wide range of molecules such as amino acids, peptides, proteins, drugs, growth cofactors, and whole cells with high specificity and high affinity [22][23][24]. Although they have similarity to antibodies, aptamers are superior in many ways: smaller size, ease of synthesis using in vitro procedures and capable of chemical modification, economical, and more stable than antibodies [25].…”