Aptamer-based therapeutic approaches to target cancer wtem cells
Journal Publication ResearchOnline@JCUAbstract
Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are believed to be a principal cellular source for tumour progression and therapeutic drug resistance as they are capable of self-renewal and can differentiate into cancer cells. Importantly, CSCs acquire the ability to evade the killing effects of cytotoxic agents through changes at the genetic, epigenetic and micro-environment levels. Therefore, therapeutic strategies targeting CSCs hold great potential as an avenue for cancer treatment. Aptamers or "chemical antibodies" are a group of single-stranded nucleic acid (DNA or RNA) oligonucleotides with distinctive properties such as smaller size, lower toxicity and less immunogenicity compared to conventional antibodies. They have been frequently used to deliver therapeutic payloads to cancer cells and have achieved encouraging anti-tumour effects. This review discusses progress in CSC evolution theory and the role of aptamers to target CSCs for cancer treatment. Challenges of aptamer-mediated CSC targeting approaches are also discussed.
Journal
Theranostics
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Volume
7
ISBN/ISSN
1838-7640
Edition
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Issue
16
Pages Count
14
Location
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Publisher
Ivyspring
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Publisher Location
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Date
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EISSN
N/A
DOI
10.7150/thno.20725