Aptamer:toxin conjugates that specifically target prostate tumor cells

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Aptamer:toxin conjugates that specifically target prostate tumor cells
2006 Jun 15
Chu TC, Marks JW 3rd, Lavery LA, Faulkner S, Rosenblum MG, Ellington AD, Levy M.
Cancer Res.
We have used RNA aptamer:gelonin conjugates to target and specifically destroy cells overexpressing the known cancer biomarker prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA). Aptamer:toxin conjugates have an IC50 of 27 nmol/L and display an increased potency of at least 600-fold relative to cells that do not express PSMA. The aptamer not only promotes uptake into target cells but also decreases the toxicity of gelonin in non-target cells. These results validate the notion that "escort aptamers" may be useful for the treatment of specific tumors expressing unique antigen targets.
PMID: 16778167 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]