title: A controllable aptamer-based self-assembled DNA dendrimer for high affinity targeting, bioimaging and drug delivery.
abstract: Targeted drug delivery is important in cancer therapy to decrease the systemic toxicity resulting from nonspecific drug distribution and to enhance drug delivery efficiency. We have developed an aptamer-based DNA dendritic nanostructure as a multifunctional vehicle for targeted cancer cell imaging and drug delivery. The multifunctional DNA dendrimer is constructed from functional Y-shaped building blocks with predesigned base-pairing hybridization including fluorophores, targeting DNA aptamers and intercalated anticancer drugs. With controllable step-by-step self-assembly, the programmable DNA dendrimer has several appealing features, including facile modular design, excellent biostability and biocompatibility, high selectivity, strong binding affinity, good cell internalization efficiency, and high drug loading capacity. Due to the unique structural features of DNA dendrimers, multiple copies of aptamers can be incorporated into each dendrimer, generating a multivalent aptamer-tethered nanostructure with enhanced binding affinity. A model chemotherapeutic anticancer drug, doxorubicin, was delivered via these aptamer-based DNA dendrimers and exerted a potent toxicity for target cancer cells (human T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia cell line) with low side effects for the non-target cells (human Burkitt's lymphoma cell line). This controllable aptamer-based DNA dendrimer is a promising candidate for biomedical applications.
authors.affiliation: The MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis &Instrumentation, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, the Key Laboratory for Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, Department of Chemical Biology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Huimin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: The MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis &Instrumentation, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, the Key Laboratory for Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, Department of Chemical Biology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Yanli
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: The MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis &Instrumentation, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, the Key Laboratory for Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, Department of Chemical Biology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.affiliation: The MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis &Instrumentation, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, the Key Laboratory for Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, Department of Chemical Biology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Yuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: An
authors.affiliation: The MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis &Instrumentation, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, the Key Laboratory for Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, Department of Chemical Biology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Yishun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: The MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis &Instrumentation, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, the Key Laboratory for Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, Department of Chemical Biology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Zhi
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: The MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis &Instrumentation, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, the Key Laboratory for Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, Department of Chemical Biology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Chaoyong James
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D052157:Aptamers, Nucleotide / Q000737:chemistry*; D016923:Cell Death / Q000187:drug effects; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D050091:Dendrimers / Q000737:chemistry*; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000494:pharmacology; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems / Q000379:methods*; D004587:Electrophoresis, Agar Gel; D016650:Fluorescein-5-isothiocyanate / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry; D013347:Subcellular Fractions / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D052157:Aptamers, Nucleotide; D050091:Dendrimers; D004317:Doxorubicin; D016650:Fluorescein-5-isothiocyanate