Recent Advancements in aptamer-bioconjugates: Sharpening Stones for breast and prostate cancers targeting

Breast and prostate cancers are common types of cancers with various strategies, such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy, for their therapy. Since these methods have undesired side effects and poor target affinity, neoteric strategies-known as aptamer-based smart drug delivery systems (SDDSs)-have been developed in recent years to overcome the obstacles of current treatment, and investigated for a clinical trial. The high affinity and versatility of aptamers for binding to the corresponding targets make them highly noticeable agents in the drug delivery domains. In addition to their exceptional benefits, aptamers are able to overcome tumor resistance because of their high selectivity and low toxicity. Furthermore, aptamers can conjugate with various drugs, nanoparticles and antibodies and effectively deliver them to the specific breast and prostate cells. This review highlights the current researches in aptamer-conjugate developments for targeting breast and prostate cancers, with the special focus on the nanoparticle-aptamer bioconjugates, systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX) system and SDDS, especially cutting-edge articles from 2008 to present. Finally, the future prospects and challenges are described.