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Targeting tumor cells via a small RNAtool (aptamer) was a major development in cancer therapy and has minimized on-target side effects compared with traditional therapeutic modalities. Aptamers are small synthetic oligonucleotides with high specificity toward cancer cells. By this selectivity, it can allow smarter delivery of the drug to the tumor, thus increasing treatment efficiency. Besides, they are small in size and easy to produce, have a low risk of eliciting an immune response, and are versatile and attractive alternatives to traditional medicines like monoclonal antibodies. This makes them particularly useful in treating aggressive cancers, such as glioblastoma, owing to their capacity to penetrate tumors and pass through the blood–brain barrier. Aptamers function by different mechanisms such as oncoprotein pathway inhibition, cytotoxic drug delivery at the site of cancer cells of interest, and finally, assisting in cancer imaging and diagnostics. When conjugated to nanoparticles, their treatment and diagnostic potential are increased. Nanomedicines conjugated to aptamers have shown improved drug delivery and therapeutic performance in various cancers. One such application is the use of aptamer–drug conjugates (ApDCs), where they allow specific targeting of drugs to the cancer cells, which helps enhance therapeutic potency and limit systemic toxicity of the drugs. Aptamers like AS1411 and A10 RNA have been shown to target cancer-specific markers such as nucleolin and prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA). Practical translation must tackle in-vivo stability, efficient distribution, and tumor heterogeneity, despite the fact that all of them demonstrate significant potential. Improvements in chemical modifications, delivery strategies, and combination therapies will be instrumental in expanding the applications of aptamers in cancer, closer toward their incorporation into precision cancer therapeutics. These limitations can be overcome in the future by conducting more research and understanding more of what aptamer-based therapies can inherently do for cancer treatment.

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Targeted Cancer Therapy with Aptamers: A Review on the Current State

  • 章节

  • 发表日期：

    2025年

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  • Vishal Chhabra,
  • Sarasa Meenakshi,
  • Santosh Kumar,
  • Krishna Murti

摘要

Targeting tumor cells via a small RNAtool (aptamer) was a major development in cancer therapy and has minimized on-target side effects compared with traditional therapeutic modalities. Aptamers are small synthetic oligonucleotides with high specificity toward cancer cells. By this selectivity, it can allow smarter delivery of the drug to the tumor, thus increasing treatment efficiency. Besides, they are small in size and easy to produce, have a low risk of eliciting an immune response, and are versatile and attractive alternatives to traditional medicines like monoclonal antibodies. This makes them particularly useful in treating aggressive cancers, such as glioblastoma, owing to their capacity to penetrate tumors and pass through the blood–brain barrier. Aptamers function by different mechanisms such as oncoprotein pathway inhibition, cytotoxic drug delivery at the site of cancer cells of interest, and finally, assisting in cancer imaging and diagnostics. When conjugated to nanoparticles, their treatment and diagnostic potential are increased. Nanomedicines conjugated to aptamers have shown improved drug delivery and therapeutic performance in various cancers. One such application is the use of aptamer–drug conjugates (ApDCs), where they allow specific targeting of drugs to the cancer cells, which helps enhance therapeutic potency and limit systemic toxicity of the drugs. Aptamers like AS1411 and A10 RNA have been shown to target cancer-specific markers such as nucleolin and prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA). Practical translation must tackle in-vivo stability, efficient distribution, and tumor heterogeneity, despite the fact that all of them demonstrate significant potential. Improvements in chemical modifications, delivery strategies, and combination therapies will be instrumental in expanding the applications of aptamers in cancer, closer toward their incorporation into precision cancer therapeutics. These limitations can be overcome in the future by conducting more research and understanding more of what aptamer-based therapies can inherently do for cancer treatment.