Aptamers as Diagnostic Tools in Cancer
Cancer is the second leading cause of death worldwide. Researchers have been working hard on investigating not only improved therapeutics but also on early detection methods, both critical to increasing treatment efficacy, and developing methods for disease prevention. The use of nucleic acids, or a...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2018-09-01
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| Series: | Pharmaceuticals |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.mdpi.com/1424-8247/11/3/86 |
| _version_ | 1828899548083257344 |
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| author | Dario Ruiz Ciancio Mauricio R. Vargas William H. Thiel Martin A. Bruno Paloma H. Giangrande María Belén Mestre |
| author_facet | Dario Ruiz Ciancio Mauricio R. Vargas William H. Thiel Martin A. Bruno Paloma H. Giangrande María Belén Mestre |
| author_sort | Dario Ruiz Ciancio |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Cancer is the second leading cause of death worldwide. Researchers have been working hard on investigating not only improved therapeutics but also on early detection methods, both critical to increasing treatment efficacy, and developing methods for disease prevention. The use of nucleic acids, or aptamers, has emerged as more specific and accurate cancer diagnostic and therapeutic tools. Aptamers are single-stranded DNA or RNA molecules that recognize specific targets based on unique three-dimensional conformations. Despite the fact aptamer development has been mainly restricted to laboratory settings, the unique attributes of these molecules suggest their high potential for clinical advances in cancer detection. Aptamers can be selected for a wide range of targets, and also linked with an extensive variety of diagnostic agents, via physical or chemical conjugation, to improve previously-established detection methods or to be used as novel biosensors for cancer diagnosis. Consequently, herein we review the principal considerations and recent updates in cancer detection and imaging through aptamer-based molecules. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-13T15:33:50Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-6f28646cb46245338820746aa2e399b1 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1424-8247 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-13T15:33:50Z |
| publishDate | 2018-09-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Pharmaceuticals |
| spelling | doaj.art-6f28646cb46245338820746aa2e399b12022-12-21T23:40:06ZengMDPI AGPharmaceuticals1424-82472018-09-011138610.3390/ph11030086ph11030086Aptamers as Diagnostic Tools in CancerDario Ruiz Ciancio0Mauricio R. Vargas1William H. Thiel2Martin A. Bruno3Paloma H. Giangrande4María Belén Mestre5Biomedical Science Institute (ICBM), Catholic of Cuyo University, San Juan, CP 5400, ArgentinaBiomedical Science Institute (ICBM), Catholic of Cuyo University, San Juan, CP 5400, ArgentinaDepartment of Internal Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52246, USABiomedical Science Institute (ICBM), Catholic of Cuyo University, San Juan, CP 5400, ArgentinaDepartment of Internal Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52246, USABiomedical Science Institute (ICBM), Catholic of Cuyo University, San Juan, CP 5400, ArgentinaCancer is the second leading cause of death worldwide. Researchers have been working hard on investigating not only improved therapeutics but also on early detection methods, both critical to increasing treatment efficacy, and developing methods for disease prevention. The use of nucleic acids, or aptamers, has emerged as more specific and accurate cancer diagnostic and therapeutic tools. Aptamers are single-stranded DNA or RNA molecules that recognize specific targets based on unique three-dimensional conformations. Despite the fact aptamer development has been mainly restricted to laboratory settings, the unique attributes of these molecules suggest their high potential for clinical advances in cancer detection. Aptamers can be selected for a wide range of targets, and also linked with an extensive variety of diagnostic agents, via physical or chemical conjugation, to improve previously-established detection methods or to be used as novel biosensors for cancer diagnosis. Consequently, herein we review the principal considerations and recent updates in cancer detection and imaging through aptamer-based molecules.http://www.mdpi.com/1424-8247/11/3/86aptamercancerdiagnosisimaging |
| spellingShingle | Dario Ruiz Ciancio Mauricio R. Vargas William H. Thiel Martin A. Bruno Paloma H. Giangrande María Belén Mestre Aptamers as Diagnostic Tools in Cancer Pharmaceuticals aptamer cancer diagnosis imaging |
| title | Aptamers as Diagnostic Tools in Cancer |
| title_full | Aptamers as Diagnostic Tools in Cancer |
| title_fullStr | Aptamers as Diagnostic Tools in Cancer |
| title_full_unstemmed | Aptamers as Diagnostic Tools in Cancer |
| title_short | Aptamers as Diagnostic Tools in Cancer |
| title_sort | aptamers as diagnostic tools in cancer |
| topic | aptamer cancer diagnosis imaging |
| url | http://www.mdpi.com/1424-8247/11/3/86 |
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