Abstract
Aptamers are short non-naturally occurring single stranded DNA or RNA able to bind tightly, due to their specific three-dimensional shapes, to a multitude of targets ranging from small chemical compounds to cells and tissues. Since their first discovery, aptamers became a valuable research tool and show great application to fundamental research, drug selection and clinical diagnosis and therapy. Thanks to their unique characteristics (low size, good affinity for the target, no immunogeneicity, chemical structures that can be easily modified to improve their in vivo applications), aptamers may represent a valid alternative to antibodies particularly for the treatment of neurological disorders that urgently need modalities for drug delivery through the blood brain barrier. Aptamers have excellent potential as reagents for the targeted delivery of active drug substances, either through direct conjugation to the aptamer, or through their encapsulation in aptamer-coated vesicles. We will review here the recent and innovative methods that have been developed and the possible applications of aptamers as inhibitors or tracers in neurological disorders and brain cancer.
Keywords: Alzheimer's disease, aptamers, blood-brain barrier, brain cancer, central nervous system, Parkinson's disease, prion diseases, SELEX
CNS & Neurological Disorders - Drug Targets
Title: Aptamers as Innovative Diagnostic and Therapeutic Agents in the Central Nervous System
Volume: 8 Issue: 5
Author(s): Vittorio de Franciscis, Carla Lucia Esposito, Silvia Catuogno, Luciano Cellai and Laura Cerchia
Affiliation:
Keywords: Alzheimer's disease, aptamers, blood-brain barrier, brain cancer, central nervous system, Parkinson's disease, prion diseases, SELEX
Abstract: Aptamers are short non-naturally occurring single stranded DNA or RNA able to bind tightly, due to their specific three-dimensional shapes, to a multitude of targets ranging from small chemical compounds to cells and tissues. Since their first discovery, aptamers became a valuable research tool and show great application to fundamental research, drug selection and clinical diagnosis and therapy. Thanks to their unique characteristics (low size, good affinity for the target, no immunogeneicity, chemical structures that can be easily modified to improve their in vivo applications), aptamers may represent a valid alternative to antibodies particularly for the treatment of neurological disorders that urgently need modalities for drug delivery through the blood brain barrier. Aptamers have excellent potential as reagents for the targeted delivery of active drug substances, either through direct conjugation to the aptamer, or through their encapsulation in aptamer-coated vesicles. We will review here the recent and innovative methods that have been developed and the possible applications of aptamers as inhibitors or tracers in neurological disorders and brain cancer.
Export Options
About this article
Cite this article as:
de Franciscis Vittorio, Esposito Lucia Carla, Catuogno Silvia, Cellai Luciano and Cerchia Laura, Aptamers as Innovative Diagnostic and Therapeutic Agents in the Central Nervous System, CNS & Neurological Disorders - Drug Targets 2009; 8 (5) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/187152709789542023
DOI https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/187152709789542023 |
Print ISSN 1871-5273 |
Publisher Name Bentham Science Publisher |
Online ISSN 1996-3181 |
Call for Papers in Thematic Issues
Diagnosis and treatment of central nervous system infectious diseases
Infectious diseases of the central nervous system (CNS) can be divided into bacterial, tuberculous, viral, fungal, parasitic infections, etc. Early etiological treatment is often the most crucial means to reduce the mortality rate of patients with central nervous system infections, reduce complications and sequelae, and improve prognosis. The initial clinical ...read more
Trends and perspectives in the rational management of CNS disorders
Central nervous system (CNS) diseases enforce a significant global health burden, driving ongoing efforts to improve our understanding and effectiveness of therapy. This issue investigates current advances in the discipline, focusing on the understanding as well as therapeutic handling of various CNS diseases. The issue covers a variety of diseases, ...read more
- Author Guidelines
- Graphical Abstracts
- Fabricating and Stating False Information
- Research Misconduct
- Post Publication Discussions and Corrections
- Publishing Ethics and Rectitude
- Increase Visibility of Your Article
- Archiving Policies
- Peer Review Workflow
- Order Your Article Before Print
- Promote Your Article
- Manuscript Transfer Facility
- Editorial Policies
- Allegations from Whistleblowers
Related Articles
-
Medicinal Chemistry Insights into Novel HDAC Inhibitors: An Updated Patent Review (2012-2016)
Recent Patents on Anti-Cancer Drug Discovery Cellular and Molecular Regulation of Inflammatory Pain, Nociception and Hyperalgesia - The Role of the Transcription Factor NF-κB as the Lynchpin Nocisensor: Hyperalgesic or Analgesic Effect?
Current Immunology Reviews (Discontinued) Prodrug Design of Phenolic Drugs
Current Pharmaceutical Design Anti-Tumor Monoclonal Antibodies in Conjunction with β-Glucans: A Novel Anti- Cancer Immunotherapy
Current Medicinal Chemistry Dendrimer Based Anti-Infective and Anti-Inflammatory Drugs
Recent Patents on Anti-Infective Drug Discovery Cytokine Network: New Targeted Therapy for Pancreatic Cancer
Current Pharmaceutical Design Anticancer Vitamin K3 Analogs: A Review
Anti-Cancer Agents in Medicinal Chemistry Cholesterol, Alzheimers Disease, Prion Disorders: A menage a trois?
Current Drug Targets The Novel Synthesized Pyridazinone Derivates had the Antiproliferative and Apoptotic Effects in SHSY5Y and HEP3B Cancer Cell Line
Letters in Organic Chemistry To Die or Not to Die: That is the Autophagic Question
Current Molecular Medicine Innovative Drug Delivery Systems for the Administration of Natural Compounds
Current Bioactive Compounds Preface [Hot Topic: Multifunctional Drug Targets (Executive Editors: H.E. Tibbles and A.O. Vassilev)]
Current Pharmaceutical Design New Trends in Fiber-Optic Chemical and Biological Sensors
Current Analytical Chemistry Small Molecules for Immunomodulation in Cancer: A Review
Anti-Cancer Agents in Medicinal Chemistry Understanding the Role of Poloxamer 407 based Thermoreversible In Situ Gelling Hydrogel for Delivery of PEGylated Melphalan Conjugate
Current Drug Delivery Cellular Immunotherapy for Neuroblastoma: A Review of Current Vaccine and Adoptive T Cell Therapeutics
Current Pharmaceutical Design Synthesis, Structure-Activity Relationships and Biological Activity of New Isatin Derivatives as Tyrosinase Inhibitors
Current Topics in Medicinal Chemistry Preferentially Expressed Antigen in Melanoma (PRAME) and the PRAME Family of Leucine-Rich Repeat Proteins
Current Cancer Drug Targets Identification of Novel Structurally Diverse Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase Inhibitors Based on Pharmacophore Modeling, Virtual Screening and Molecular Docking
Combinatorial Chemistry & High Throughput Screening Association of Oxidative Stress to the Genesis of Anxiety: Implications for Possible Therapeutic Interventions
Current Neuropharmacology