1
|
Bisht A, Bhowmik S, Patel P, Gupta GD, Kurmi BD. Aptamer as a targeted approach towards treatment of breast cancer. J Drug Target 2024:1-19. [PMID: 38512151 DOI: 10.1080/1061186x.2024.2333866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Abstract
Aptamers, a novel type of targeted ligand used in drug delivery, have quickly gained popularity due to their high target specificity and affinity. Different aptamer-mediated drug delivery systems, such as aptamer-drug conjugate (ApDC), aptamer-siRNA, and aptamer-functionalised nanoparticle systems, are currently being developed for the successful treatment of cancer based on the excellent properties of aptamers. These systems can decrease potential toxicity and enhance therapeutic efficacy by targeting the drug moiety. In this review, we provide an overview of recent developments in aptamer-mediated delivery systems for cancer therapy, specifically for breast cancer, and talk about the potential applications and current issues of novel aptamer-based techniques. This study in aptamer technology for breast cancer therapy highlights key aptamers targeting well-established biomarkers such as HER2, oestrogen receptor, and progesterone receptor. Additionally, we explore the potential of aptamers in overcoming various challenges such as drug resistance and improving the delivery of therapeutic agents. This review aims to provide a deeper understanding of the present aptamer-based targeted delivery applications through in-depth analysis to increase efficacy and create new therapeutic approaches that may ultimately lead to better treatment outcomes for cancer patients.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anjali Bisht
- Department of Pharmaceutical Quality Assurance, ISF College Pharmacy, Moga, India
| | | | - Preeti Patel
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, ISF College Pharmacy, Moga, India
| | | | - Balak Das Kurmi
- Department of Pharmaceutics, ISF College Pharmacy, Moga, India
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Zhang N, Wang J, Bing T, Liu X, Shangguan D. Transferrin receptor-mediated internalization and intracellular fate of conjugates of a DNA aptamer. Mol Ther Nucleic Acids 2022; 27:1249-1259. [PMID: 35282414 PMCID: PMC8899136 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtn.2022.02.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2021] [Accepted: 02/10/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Aptamers have excellent specificity and affinity in targeting cell surface receptors, showing great potential in targeted delivery of drugs, siRNA, mRNA, and various nanomaterials with therapeutic function. A better insight of the receptor-mediated internalization process of aptameric conjugates could facilitate the design of new targeted drugs. In this paper, human transferrin receptor-targeted DNA aptamer (termed HG1-9)-fluorophore conjugates were synthesized to visualize the internalization, intracellular transport, and nano-environmental pH of aptameric conjugates. Unlike transferrin that showed high recycling rate and short duration time in cells, the synthetic aptameric conjugates continuously accumulated within cells at a relatively slower rate, besides recycling back to cell surface. After long incubation (≥2 h), only very small amounts of HG1-9 conjugates (approximately 5%) entered late endosomes or lysosomes, and more than 90% of internalized HG1-9 was retained in cellular vesicles (pH 6.0–6.8), escaping from degradation. And among the internalized HG1-9 conjugates, approximately 20% was dissociated from transferrin receptor. The lower recycling ratios of HG1-9 conjugates and their dissociation from receptors promote the accurate and efficient release of their loaded drugs. These results suggest that aptamer HG1-9 could be provided as a versatile tool for specific and effective delivery of diverse therapeutic payloads.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nan Zhang
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Living Biosystems, CAS Research/Education Center for Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Junyan Wang
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Living Biosystems, CAS Research/Education Center for Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Tao Bing
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Living Biosystems, CAS Research/Education Center for Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China.,School of Chemical Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xiangjun Liu
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Living Biosystems, CAS Research/Education Center for Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China.,School of Chemical Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Dihua Shangguan
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Living Biosystems, CAS Research/Education Center for Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China.,School of Chemical Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.,School of Molecular Medicine, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou 310024, China
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Zhang H, Jin C, Zhang L, Peng B, Zhang Y, Liu Y, Li L, Ye M, Xiong W, Tan W. CD71-Specific Aptamer Conjugated with Monomethyl Auristatin E for the Treatment of Uveal Melanoma. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2022; 14:32-40. [PMID: 34928139 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.1c13980] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Uveal melanoma (UM) is the most common primary intraocular malignancy among adults. Despite significant advances in diagnosis and treatment, the general mortality of UM remains alarmingly high. This calls for the development of new approaches for the treatment of UM, such as targeted cancer therapy. CD71, also known as transferrin receptor 1, is overexpressed in UM cell lines and tissues. Herein, we report the development of a CD71-specific aptamer targeting the XQ-2d-MMAE conjugate that can distinguish UM cells from normal human uveal melanocytes. The cytotoxic drug monomethyl auristatin E (MMAE) could be easily coupled onto XQ-2d, a DNA aptamer that specifically targets CD71, to achieve efficiently targeted cancer growth inhibition in a mouse xenograft model, thus implying that XQ-2d-MMAE might be developed into a promising novel anti-tumor agent for the treatment of UM. Collectively, our results demonstrated that CD71 is a reliable target for drug delivery in UM and could be utilized as a model to explore aptamer-mediated targeted UM treatment strategies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hui Zhang
- Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Biology, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
- The Cancer Hospital of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Zhejiang Cancer Hospital), Institute of Basic Medicine and Cancer (IBMC), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310022, China
| | - Cheng Jin
- Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Biology, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
| | - Lin Zhang
- Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Biology, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
| | - Bo Peng
- Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Biology, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
| | - Yibin Zhang
- Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Biology, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
| | - Yan Liu
- Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Biology, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
| | - Ling Li
- Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Biology, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
| | - Mao Ye
- Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Biology, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
| | - Wei Xiong
- Department of Ophthalmology, the Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410013, China
| | - Weihong Tan
- Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Biology, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
- The Cancer Hospital of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Zhejiang Cancer Hospital), Institute of Basic Medicine and Cancer (IBMC), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310022, China
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Powell Gray B, Song X, Hsu DS, Kratschmer C, Levy M, Barry AP, Sullenger BA. An Aptamer for Broad Cancer Targeting and Therapy. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:E3217. [PMID: 33142831 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12113217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2020] [Revised: 10/24/2020] [Accepted: 10/29/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Recent efforts to improve chemotherapy’s antitumor effects have increasingly focused on targeted therapies, where the drug is modified with an agent able to specifically deliver it to the tumor while limiting its accumulation in normal tissue. Aptamers, comprised of short pieces of RNA or DNA, are ideal for this type of drug targeting due in part to their ease of chemical synthesis. The E3 aptamer was previously conjugated to highly toxic chemotherapeutics and shown to target and treat prostate tumors. Here, we show that E3 is not limited to prostate cancer targeting but appears to broadly target cancer cells. E3 highly toxic drug conjugates also efficiently kill a broad range of cancer types, and E3 targets tumors that closely model patient tumors. Thus, the E3 aptamer appears to be a general agent for specific delivery of chemotherapy to tumors and should improve antitumor treatment while reducing unwanted toxicities in other tissues. Abstract Recent advances in chemotherapy treatments are increasingly targeted therapies, with the drug conjugated to an antibody able to deliver it directly to the tumor. As high-affinity chemical ligands that are much smaller in size, aptamers are ideal for this type of drug targeting. Aptamer-highly toxic drug conjugates (ApTDCs) based on the E3 aptamer, selected on prostate cancer cells, target and inhibit prostate tumor growth in vivo. Here, we observe that E3 also broadly targets numerous other cancer types, apparently representing a universal aptamer for cancer targeting. Accordingly, ApTDCs formed by conjugation of E3 to the drugs monomethyl auristatin E (MMAE) or monomethyl auristatin F (MMAF) efficiently target and kill a range of different cancer cells. Notably, this targeting extends to both patient-derived explant (PDX) cancer cell lines and tumors, with the E3 MMAE and MMAF conjugates inhibiting PDX cell growth in vitro and with the E3 aptamer targeting PDX colorectal tumors in vivo.
Collapse
|
5
|
Park JY, Chae JR, Cho YL, Kim Y, Lee D, Lee JK, Kang WJ. Targeted Therapy of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Using Gemcitabine-Incorporated GPC3 Aptamer. Pharmaceutics 2020; 12:E985. [PMID: 33080969 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics12100985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Revised: 10/13/2020] [Accepted: 10/14/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common malignancy of the liver, which can progress rapidly and has a poor prognosis. Glypican-3 (GPC3) has been proposed to be an important diagnostic biomarker and therapeutic target for HCC. Aptamers have emerged as promising drug delivery vehicles because of their high binding affinity for target molecules. Herein, we developed G12msi, a gemcitabine-incorporated DNA aptamer, targeting GPC3, and evaluated its binding specificity and anti-tumor efficacy in GPC3-overexpressing HCC cell lines and murine xenograft models. GPC3-targeted aptamers were selected by using the SELEX process and the chemotherapy drug gemcitabine was internally incorporated into the aptamer. To determine the binding affinity and internalization of the G12msi, flow cytometry and confocal microscopy were performed on GPC3-positive HepG2, Hep3B, and Huh7 cells, as well as a GPC3-negative A431 cell. The anti-tumor activities of G12msi were evaluated with in vitro and in vivo models. We found that G12msi binds to GPC3-overexpressing HCC tumor cells with high specificity and is effectively internalized. Moreover, G12msi treatment inhibited the cell proliferation of GPC3-positive HCC cell lines with minimal cytotoxicity in control A431 cells. In vivo systemic administration of G12msi significantly inhibited tumor growth of HCC HepG2 cells in xenograft models without causing toxicity. These results suggest that gemcitabine-incorporated GPC3 aptamer-based drug delivery may be a promising strategy for the treatment of HCC.
Collapse
|
6
|
Bavi R, Hang Z, Banerjee P, Aquib M, Jadhao M, Rane N, Bavi S, Bhosale R, Kodam K, Jeon BH, Gu Y. Doxorubicin-Conjugated Innovative 16-mer DNA Aptamer-Based Annexin A1 Targeted Anti-Cancer Drug Delivery. Mol Ther Nucleic Acids 2020; 21:1074-86. [PMID: 32854062 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtn.2020.07.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2020] [Revised: 03/17/2020] [Accepted: 07/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Aptamers are small, functional single-stranded DNA or RNA oligonucleotides that bind to their targets with high affinity and specificity. Experimentally, aptamers are selected by the systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX) method. Here, we have used rational drug designing and bioinformatics methods to design the aptamers, which involves three different steps. First, finding a probable aptamer-binding site, and second, designing the recognition and structural parts of the aptamers by generating a virtual library of sequences, selection of specific sequence via molecular docking, molecular dynamics (MD) simulation, binding energy calculations, and finally evaluating the experimental affinity. Following this strategy, a 16-mer DNA aptamer was designed for Annexin A1 (ANXA1). In a direct binding assay, DNA1 aptamer bound to the ANXA1 with dissociation constants value of 83 nM. Flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy results also showed that DNA1 aptamer binds specifically to A549, HepG2, U-87 MG cancer cells that overexpress ANXA1 protein, but not to MCF7 and L-02, which are ANXA1 negative cells. We further developed a novel system by conjugating DNA1 aptamer with doxorubicin and its efficacy was studied by cellular uptake and cell viability assay. Also, anti-tumor analysis showed that conjugation of doxorubicin with aptamer significantly enhances targeted therapy against tumors while minimizing overall adverse effects on mice health.
Collapse
|
7
|
Pusuluri A, Krishnan V, Lensch V, Sarode A, Bunyan E, Vogus DR, Menegatti S, Soh HT, Mitragotri S. Treating Tumors at Low Drug Doses Using an Aptamer-Peptide Synergistic Drug Conjugate. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2018; 58:1437-1441. [PMID: 30537284 DOI: 10.1002/anie.201812650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2018] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Combination chemotherapy must strike a difficult balance between safety and efficacy. Current regimens suffer from poor therapeutic impact because drugs are given at their maximum tolerated dose (MTD), which compounds the toxicity risk and exposes tumors to non-optimal drug ratios. A modular framework has been developed that selectively delivers drug combinations at synergistic ratios via tumor-targeting aptamers for effective low-dose treatment. A nucleolin-recognizing aptamer was coupled to peptide scaffolds laden with precise ratios of doxorubicin (DOX) and camptothecin (CPT). This construct had an extremely low IC50 (31.9 nm) against MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells in vitro, and exhibited in vivo efficacy at micro-dose injections (500 and 350 μg kg-1 dose-1 of DOX and CPT, respectively) that are 20-30-fold lower than their previously-reported MTDs. This approach represents a generalizable strategy for the safe and consistent delivery of combination drugs in oncology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anusha Pusuluri
- John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA.,Wyss Institute of Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Harvard University, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.,Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA
| | - Vinu Krishnan
- John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA.,Wyss Institute of Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Harvard University, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Valerie Lensch
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA
| | - Apoorva Sarode
- John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA.,Wyss Institute of Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Harvard University, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Elaine Bunyan
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA
| | - Douglas R Vogus
- John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA.,Wyss Institute of Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Harvard University, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Stefano Menegatti
- Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27606, USA
| | - H Tom Soh
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Department of Radiology, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Samir Mitragotri
- John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA.,Wyss Institute of Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Harvard University, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Dou XQ, Wang H, Zhang J, Wang F, Xu GL, Xu CC, Xu HH, Xiang SS, Fu J, Song HF. Aptamer-drug conjugate: targeted delivery of doxorubicin in a HER3 aptamer-functionalized liposomal delivery system reduces cardiotoxicity. Int J Nanomedicine 2018; 13:763-776. [PMID: 29440899 PMCID: PMC5804143 DOI: 10.2147/ijn.s149887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction The toxic side effects of doxorubicin (DOX) have limited its use in chemotherapy. Neither liposomal DOX nor pegylated liposomal DOX are able to completely resolve this issue. This is a proof-of-concept study testing aptamer-drug conjugate (ApDC) targeted delivery systems for chemotherapeutic drugs. Methods Aptamer library targeting human epidermal growth factor receptor 3 (HER3) was screened and affinity was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Specificity was tested in MCF-7HER3-high, BT474HER3-high, and 293THER3-negative cells using flow cytometry and confocal microscopy. We further developed a HER3 aptamer-functionalized liposome encapsulating DOX and the efficiency of this ApDC was detected by cellular uptake analysis and cell viability assay. In MCF-7 tumor-bearing mice, tumor targeting evaluation, efficacy, toxicity and preliminary pharmocokinetic study was performed. Results The candidate #13 aptamer had highest affinity (Kd =98±9.7 nM) and specificity. ApDC effectively reduces the half maximal inhibitory concentration of DOX compared with lipsome-DOX and free DOX. In vivo imaging and preliminary distribution studies showed that actively targeted nanoparticles, such as Apt-Lip-DOX molecules, could facilitate the delivery of DOX into tumors in MCF-7-bearing mice. This targeted chemotherapy caused greater tumor suppression than other groups and alleviated side effects such as weight loss, low survival rate, and organ (heart and liver) injury demonstrated by H&E staining. Conclusion The results indicate that targeted chemotherapy using the aptamer-drug conjugate format could provide better tolerability and efficacy compared with non-targeted delivery in relatively low-dose toxic drugs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Qian Dou
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Hua Wang
- Ophthalmology Department, Eye Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jing Zhang
- Bioanalysis Department, United-Power Pharma Tech Co., Ltd., Beijing, China
| | - Fang Wang
- Bioanalysis Department, United-Power Pharma Tech Co., Ltd., Beijing, China
| | - Gui-Li Xu
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Cheng-Cheng Xu
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Huan-Hua Xu
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Shen-Si Xiang
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Jie Fu
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Hai-Feng Song
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, Beijing, China
| |
Collapse
|