EN
Targeted delivery of bioactive compounds is a
key part of successful therapies. In this context, nucleic
acid and protein-based aptamers have been shown to
bind therapeutically relevant targets including receptors.
In the last decade, nucleic acid-based therapeutics
coupled to aptamers have emerged as a viable strategy for
cell specific delivery. Additionally, recent developments
in nucleic acid nanotechnology offer an abundance of
possibilities to rationally design aptamer targeted RNA
or DNA nanoparticles involving combinatorial use of
various intrinsic functionalities. Although a host of issues
including stability, safety and intracellular trafficking
remain to be addressed, aptamers as simple functional
chimeras or as parts of multifunctional self-assembled
RNA/DNA nanostructures hold great potential for clinical
applications.