title: Aptamers as therapeutics in cardiovascular diseases.
abstract: With many advantages over other therapeutic agents such as monoclonal antibodies, aptamers have recently emerged as a novel and powerful class of ligands with excellent potential for diagnostic and therapeutic applications. Typically generated through Systematic Evolution of Ligands by EXponential enrichment (SELEX), aptamers have been selected against a wide range of targets such as proteins, phospholipids, sugars, nucleic acids, as well as whole cells. DNA/RNA aptamers are single-stranded DNA/RNA oligonucleotides (with a molecular weight of 5-40 kDa) that can fold into well-defined 3D structures and bind to their target molecules with high affinity and specificity. A number of strategies have been adopted to synthesize aptamers with enhanced in vitro/in vivo stability, aiming at potential therapeutic/diagnostic applications in the clinic. In cardiovascular diseases, aptamers can be developed into therapeutic agents as anti-thrombotics, anti-coagulants, among others. This review focuses on aptamers that were selected against various molecular targets involved in cardiovascular diseases: von Willebrand factor (vWF), thrombin, factor IX, phospholamban, P-selectin, platelet-derived growth factor, integrin α(v)β(3), CXCL10, vasopressin, among others. With continued effort in the development of aptamer-based therapeutics, aptamers will find their niches in cardiovascular diseases and significantly impact clinical patient management.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Southwest Hospital, The Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fang
mesh_terms: D052157:Aptamers, Nucleotide / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000378:metabolism / Q000628:therapy*; D005164:Factor IX / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy; D013917:Thrombin / Q000378:metabolism; D014841:von Willebrand Factor / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D052157:Aptamers, Nucleotide; D014841:von Willebrand Factor; D005164:Factor IX; D013917:Thrombin