Therapeutic applications of synthetic nucleic acid aptamers.

It is possible to generate oligonucleotide aptamers for a wide variety of target molecules using a process known as Systematic Evolution of Ligands by Exponential Enrichment. Researchers have successfully generated aptamers which recognize specific metal ions, small chemical compounds, peptides, proteins, saccharides, and even whole cells. Aptamers show much promise as future therapeutics and as drug targeting agents. A particularly active area of aptamer research in the past two years was development of aptamer based cancer therapeutics and development of aptamer based cancer drug delivery systems. Aptamers were also used to address inflammatory diseases, infectious diseases, cardiovascular diseases, and eye diseases.