TY - JOUR
T1 - Exploring the Potential of Aptamers in Targeting Neuroinflammation and Neurodegenerative Disorders
T2 - Opportunities and Challenges
AU - Kong, Anna Hau Yee
AU - Wu, Aston Jiaxi
AU - Ho, Olivia Ka Yi
AU - Leung, Maggie Ming Ki
AU - Huang, Alexis Shiying
AU - Yu, Yuanyuan
AU - Zhang, Ge
AU - Lyu, Aiping
AU - Li, Min
AU - Cheung, King Ho
N1 - Funding information:
This study was supported by the Health and Medical Research Fund (HMRF 20212841) of the Food and Health Bureau, the Hong Kong SAR Government, Guangdong Province Natural Science Foundation (reference 2023A1515010641) of the Guangdong Provincial Department of Science and Technology (GDSTC), and the Vincent & Lily Woo Foundation to CKH.
Publisher copyright:
© 2023 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
PY - 2023/7/2
Y1 - 2023/7/2
N2 - Neuroinflammation is the precursor for several neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs), such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD), and multiple sclerosis (MS). Targeting neuroinflammation has emerged as a promising strategy to address a wide range of CNS pathologies. These NDDs still present significant challenges in terms of limited and ineffective diagnosis and treatment options, driving the need to explore innovative and novel therapeutic alternatives. Aptamers are single-stranded nucleic acids that offer the potential for addressing these challenges through diagnostic and therapeutic applications. In this review, we summarize diagnostic and therapeutic aptamers for inflammatory biomolecules, as well as the inflammatory cells in NDDs. We also discussed the potential of short nucleotides for Aptamer-Based Targeted Brain Delivery through their unique features and modifications, as well as their ability to penetrate the blood-brain barrier. Moreover, the unprecedented opportunities and substantial challenges of using aptamers as therapeutic agents, such as drug efficacy, safety considerations, and pharmacokinetics, are also discussed. Taken together, this review assesses the potential of aptamers as a pioneering approach for target delivery to the CNS and the treatment of neuroinflammation and NDDs.
AB - Neuroinflammation is the precursor for several neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs), such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD), and multiple sclerosis (MS). Targeting neuroinflammation has emerged as a promising strategy to address a wide range of CNS pathologies. These NDDs still present significant challenges in terms of limited and ineffective diagnosis and treatment options, driving the need to explore innovative and novel therapeutic alternatives. Aptamers are single-stranded nucleic acids that offer the potential for addressing these challenges through diagnostic and therapeutic applications. In this review, we summarize diagnostic and therapeutic aptamers for inflammatory biomolecules, as well as the inflammatory cells in NDDs. We also discussed the potential of short nucleotides for Aptamer-Based Targeted Brain Delivery through their unique features and modifications, as well as their ability to penetrate the blood-brain barrier. Moreover, the unprecedented opportunities and substantial challenges of using aptamers as therapeutic agents, such as drug efficacy, safety considerations, and pharmacokinetics, are also discussed. Taken together, this review assesses the potential of aptamers as a pioneering approach for target delivery to the CNS and the treatment of neuroinflammation and NDDs.
KW - aptamer
KW - neuroinflammation
KW - neurodegeneration
KW - alzheimer’s disease
KW - parkinson’s disease
KW - microglia
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85165939196&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3390/ijms241411780
DO - 10.3390/ijms241411780
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 37511539
AN - SCOPUS:85165939196
SN - 1661-6596
VL - 24
JO - International Journal of Molecular Sciences
JF - International Journal of Molecular Sciences
IS - 14
M1 - 11780
ER -
