Pathogen-specific nucleic acid aptamers as targeting components of antibiotic and gene delivery systems

Variable Lymphocyte Receptor B Technologies - Are They Ready for Prime Time?

OBJECTIVE

To review the current and the potential research and clinical use of VLRBs.

METHODS

A literature search was conducted for English studies published in the past 20 years using the terms "Variable Lymphocyte Receptor," "VLR," "VLRB" or "Repebody." Only primary reports were included.

RESULTS

VLRB-based technologies are currently being investigated for diagnosis, imaging, and treatment of diverse conditions including solid organ and hematological malignancies, infectious diseases, autoimmunity, and degenerative and metabolic disorders. VLRB mAbs can be used to directly recognize disease biomarkers, such as B cells from chronic lymphocytic leukemia, or to deliver drugs to the brain or cancer cells. The VLRB C-terminal multimerization domain has been utilized to create vaccines while VLR-based chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell constructs are being investigated for cancer therapies.

CONCLUSIONS

The extensive knowledge gained with VLRB mAbs in diverse in vitro and in vivo models emphasizes their promise for translation into clinical applications and readiness for prime time.

Aptamer-Based Antibacterial and Antiviral Therapy against Infectious Diseases

Nucleic acid aptamers are single-stranded DNA or RNA molecules selected in vitro that can bind to a broad range of targets with high affinity and specificity. As promising alternatives to conventional anti-infective agents, aptamers have gradually revealed their potential in the combat against infectious diseases. This article provides an overview on the state-of-art of aptamer-based antibacterial and antiviral therapeutic strategies. Diverse aptamers targeting pathogen-related components or whole pathogenic cells are summarized according to the species of microorganisms. These aptamers exhibited remarkable in vitro and/or in vivo inhibitory effect for pathogenic invasion, enzymatic activities, or viral replication, even for some highly drug-resistant strains and biofilms. Aptamer-mediated drug delivery and controlled drug release strategies are also included herein. Critical technical barriers of therapeutic aptamers are briefly discussed, followed by some future perspectives for their implementation into clinical utility.

Aptamer Hybrid Nanocomplexes as Targeting Components for Antibiotic/Gene Delivery Systems and Diagnostics: A Review

With the passage of time and more advanced societies, there is a greater emergence and incidence of disease and necessity for improved treatments. In this respect, nowadays, aptamers, with their better efficiency at diagnosing and treating diseases than antibodies, are at the center of attention. Here, in this review, we first investigate aptamer function in various fields (such as the detection and remedy of pathogens, modification of nanoparticles, antibiotic delivery and gene delivery). Then, we present aptamer-conjugated nanocomplexes as the main and efficient factor in gene delivery. Finally, we focus on the targeted co-delivery of genes and drugs by nanocomplexes, as a new exciting approach for cancer treatment in the decades ahead to meet our growing societal needs.