Aptamer Interactions and Applications in Cancer Treatment
Date
2011-12
Authors
Stecker, John
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
Aptamers, small strands of RNA or DNA, are finding a rapidly expanding repertoire of applications. Aptamers have found numerous diagnostic and therapeutic uses both in vitro and in vivo. Specifically, their application in diagnosis and treatment of multiple cancers has been strongly advanced over the last decade. In this study, two different applications of aptamers are explored for two different cancers. In the murine liver cancer cell line, BNL 1ME A.7R.1 (MEAR), the TLS-11a aptamer is shown to quickly internalize at physiological temperatures. The TLS-11a aptamer is therefore a potential candidate for intracellular toxin delivery as a means of inducing targeted apoptosis of the MEAR cancer cells. In the human breast cancer cell line MCF7, the MUC1-5TR aptamer is shown to successfully initiate the classical complement pathway leading to complement fixation on the target cell via a streptavidin-C1q conjugation. This model provides a way to help the human immune system specifically target and remove cancerous cells.
Description
Keywords
Cancer, Aptamer
Citation
Stecker, J. (2011). Aptamer interactions and applications in cancer treatment (Unpublished thesis). Texas State University-San Marcos, San Marcos, Texas.