A hybrid DNA aptamer-dendrimer nanomaterial for targeted cell labeling.

Antibodies are natural nanomaterials and have been widely used for targeted cell labeling. However, the applications of antibodies are often limited by their large size and instability. The purpose of this study is to develop a new type of multifunctional nanomaterial that is comprised of a nucleic acid aptamer and a dendrimer, both of which are stable. This nanomaterial is approximately 8 nm in size. Moreover, it could not only carry multiple signal molecules, but also bind to target cancer cells with high affinity and specificity. This sub-10 nm multifunctional nanomaterial is expected to be useful in basic biomedical research and clinical medicine.