Title:Nucleic Acid Aptamers as a Potential Nucleus Targeted Drug Delivery System
Volume: 17
Issue: 2
Author(s): Garima Shrivastava, Hamid A. Bakshi, Alaa A. Aljabali, Vijay Mishra, Faruck L. Hakkim, Nitin B. Charbe, Prashant Kesharwani, Dinesh K. Chellappan, Kamal Dua and Murtaza M. Tambuwala*
Affiliation:
- SAAD Centre for Pharmacy and Diabetes, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Science, Ulster University, Coleraine, County Londonderry BT52 1SA Northern Ireland,United Kingdom
Keywords:
Nucleus, nucleus targeted drug delivery, nucleus targeting DNA, proteins, nucleic acid aptamers, RNA aptamers.
Abstract:
Background: Nucleus targeted drug delivery provides several opportunities for the treatment
of fatal diseases such as cancer. However, the complex nucleocytoplasmic barriers pose significant
challenges for delivering a drug directly and efficiently into the nucleus. Aptamers representing singlestranded
DNA and RNA qualify as next-generation highly advanced and personalized medicinal agents
that successfully inhibit the expression of certain proteins; possess extraordinary gene-expression for
manoeuvring the diseased cell's fate with negligible toxicity. In addition, the precisely directed aptamers
to the site of action present a tremendous potential to reach the nucleus by escaping the ensuing
barriers to exhibit a better drug activity and gene expression.
Objective: This review epigrammatically highlights the significance of targeted drug delivery and presents
a comprehensive description of the principal barriers faced by the nucleus targeted drug delivery
paradigm and ensuing complexities thereof. Eventually, the progress of nucleus targeting with nucleic
acid aptamers and success achieved so far have also been reviewed.
Methods: Systematic literature search was conducted of research published to date in the field of nucleic
acid aptamers.
Conclusion: The review specifically points out the contribution of individual aptamers as the nucleustargeting
agent rather than aptamers in conjugated form.