title: DNA Aptamer Based Nanodrugs: Molecular Engineering for Efficiency.
abstract: In the past two decades, the study of cancer therapy has gradually advanced to the "nano" era. Numerous novel nanomaterials armed with unique physical properties have been introduced into biomedical research. At the same time, functional nucleic acid molecules, especially aptamers, have aroused broad attention from the biomedical community. Benefiting from the advancement of molecular engineering strategies, it is now feasible to combine the cancer-specific recognition capability of aptamers with various other special functions of nanomaterials to develop cancer-specific drugs at the nanoscale. Nanodrugs are now offering an unprecedented opportunity to achieve the goal of efficient targeted delivery as well as controlled release. This review highlights some achievements made in multiple aptamer-based nanodrug systems that have emerged in recent years, including studies in the infant stage of "proof-of-concept".
authors.affiliation: Departments of Chemistry, Department of Physiology and Functional Genomics, Center for Research at the Bio/Nano Interface, UF Health Cancer Center, UF Genetics Institute and McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611-7200, USA.
authors.forename: Sena
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cansiz
authors.affiliation: Departments of Chemistry, Department of Physiology and Functional Genomics, Center for Research at the Bio/Nano Interface, UF Health Cancer Center, UF Genetics Institute and McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611-7200, USA.
authors.forename: Liqin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Departments of Chemistry, Department of Physiology and Functional Genomics, Center for Research at the Bio/Nano Interface, UF Health Cancer Center, UF Genetics Institute and McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611-7200, USA.|Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Bio-Sensing and Chemometrics, College of Biology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Collaborative Innovation Center for Molecular Engineering and Theranostics, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Cuichen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Departments of Chemistry, Department of Physiology and Functional Genomics, Center for Research at the Bio/Nano Interface, UF Health Cancer Center, UF Genetics Institute and McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611-7200, USA.|Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Bio-Sensing and Chemometrics, College of Biology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Collaborative Innovation Center for Molecular Engineering and Theranostics, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Yuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Departments of Chemistry, Department of Physiology and Functional Genomics, Center for Research at the Bio/Nano Interface, UF Health Cancer Center, UF Genetics Institute and McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611-7200, USA.
authors.forename: I-Ting
authors.initials: IT
authors.lastname: Teng
authors.affiliation: Departments of Chemistry, Department of Physiology and Functional Genomics, Center for Research at the Bio/Nano Interface, UF Health Cancer Center, UF Genetics Institute and McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611-7200, USA.
authors.forename: Weijia
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Hou
authors.affiliation: Departments of Chemistry, Department of Physiology and Functional Genomics, Center for Research at the Bio/Nano Interface, UF Health Cancer Center, UF Genetics Institute and McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611-7200, USA.
authors.forename: Yanyue
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Departments of Chemistry, Department of Physiology and Functional Genomics, Center for Research at the Bio/Nano Interface, UF Health Cancer Center, UF Genetics Institute and McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611-7200, USA.
authors.forename: Shuo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wan
authors.affiliation: Departments of Chemistry, Department of Physiology and Functional Genomics, Center for Research at the Bio/Nano Interface, UF Health Cancer Center, UF Genetics Institute and McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611-7200, USA.
authors.forename: Ren
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.affiliation: Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Bio-Sensing and Chemometrics, College of Biology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Collaborative Innovation Center for Molecular Engineering and Theranostics, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Chen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.affiliation: Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Bio-Sensing and Chemometrics, College of Biology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Collaborative Innovation Center for Molecular Engineering and Theranostics, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Qiaoling
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Departments of Chemistry, Department of Physiology and Functional Genomics, Center for Research at the Bio/Nano Interface, UF Health Cancer Center, UF Genetics Institute and McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611-7200, USA. tan@chem.ufl.edu.|Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Bio-Sensing and Chemometrics, College of Biology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Collaborative Innovation Center for Molecular Engineering and Theranostics, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, P.R. China. tan@chem.ufl.edu.
authors.forename: Weihong
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Tan
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D052157:Aptamers, Nucleotide / Q000737:chemistry*; D002616:Chemical Engineering; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D052157:Aptamers, Nucleotide
keywords: aptamers; controlled release; drug delivery; nanodrugs; nanotechnology