title: Application of aptamers for targeted therapeutics.
abstract: Aptamers are short, single-stranded oligonucleotides that are isolated through a process termed systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment. With the advent of cell-based selection technology, aptamers can be selected to bind protein targets that are expressed on the cell surface. These aptamers demonstrate excellent specificity and high affinity toward their target proteins and are often internalized upon binding to their targets. This has opened up the possibility of using aptamers for cell-specific targeted drug delivery. In this review, we will discuss cell-surface protein targets, the aptamers that bind them, and their applications for targeted therapeutics.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, DUMC Box 103035, Durham, NC 27710, USA. partha.ray@duke.edu
authors.forename: Partha
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ray
authors.forename: Kristi D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Viles
authors.forename: Erin E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Soule
authors.forename: Rebecca Smock
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Woodruff
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D052157:Aptamers, Nucleotide / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D004337:Drug Carriers; D006801:Humans; D008024:Ligands; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D011485:Protein Binding; D052156:SELEX Aptamer Technique
chemical_list: D052157:Aptamers, Nucleotide; D004337:Drug Carriers; D008024:Ligands; D008565:Membrane Proteins