Anti-VEGF DNA-based aptamers in cancer therapeutics and diagnostics

Claudia Riccardi; Ettore Napolitano; Chiara Platella; Domenica Musumeci; Mariarosa A B Melone; Daniela Montesarchio

doi:10.1002/med.21737

Anti-VEGF DNA-based aptamers in cancer therapeutics and diagnostics

Med Res Rev. 2021 Jan;41(1):464-506. doi: 10.1002/med.21737. Epub 2020 Oct 10.

Authors

Claudia Riccardi^{1

2}, Ettore Napolitano¹, Chiara Platella¹, Domenica Musumeci^{1

3}, Mariarosa A B Melone^{2

4}, Daniela Montesarchio¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy.
² Department of Advanced Medical and Surgical Sciences, 2nd Division of Neurology, Center for Rare Diseases and Inter-University Center for Research in Neurosciences, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Naples, Italy.
³ Institute of Biostructures and Bioimages, Naples, Italy.
⁴ Sbarro Institute for Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.

PMID: 33038031
DOI: 10.1002/med.21737

Abstract

The vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) family and its receptors play fundamental roles not only in physiological but also in pathological angiogenesis, characteristic of cancer progression. Aiming at finding putative treatments for several malignancies, various small molecules, antibodies, or protein-based drugs have been evaluated in vitro and in vivo as VEGF inhibitors, providing efficient agents approved for clinical use. Due to the high clinical importance of VEGF, also a great number of anti-VEGF nucleic acid-based aptamers-that is, oligonucleotides able to bind with high affinity and specificity a selected biological target-have been developed as promising agents in anticancer strategies. Notable research efforts have been made in optimization processes of the identified aptamers, searching for increased target affinity and/or bioactivity by exploring structural analogues of the lead compounds. This review is focused on recent studies devoted to the development of DNA-based aptamers designed to target VEGF. Their therapeutic potential as well as their significance in the construction of highly selective biosensors is here discussed.

Keywords: DNA-based aptamers; G-quadruplex; VEGF; anticancer agents; diagnostics; therapy.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Review

MeSH terms

Aptamers, Nucleotide*
DNA
Humans
Neoplasms* / diagnosis
Neoplasms* / drug therapy
Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A
Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors

Substances

Aptamers, Nucleotide
Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A
Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors
DNA