Recent development of aptamer conjugated chitosan nanoparticles as cancer therapeutics

There is a surge in demand for safe and targeted therapy against cancer as the conventional treatment approach fails to reach the specific site. Chemotherapeutic agents are generally associated with low tumoral accumulation, off-site effect, and drug resistance. Targeted delivery with the use of nanocarrier could elevate the drug accumulation at the target site, reduce toxicity to non-cancerous cells, overcome drug resistance, and reduce dosing. Aptamers are single-stranded oligonucleotide that folds in a way to get into the pocket of target cells with high affinity and specificity due to the ability to recognize and interact with the biomarkers such as nucleolin, Mucin, EGFR, etc. overexpressed by cancer cells. Aptamer also plays a key role in cancer immunotherapy and the delivery of anti-cancer agents. The review brings the light upon the use of aptamer-chitosan nanoparticles against cancer therapy and their role in the reduction of toxic effects.