Approaches to optimize cell internalization and in vivo tumor homing by aptamer-drug conjugates using SELEX

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common primary malignant brain tumor and is typically fatal. GBM therapies are hindered by the impermeability of the blood brain barrier (BBB), the diffuse and infiltrative nature of the tumor, and the high heterogeneity of intratumoral GBM cells. Aptamers are short, synthetic, folded single strands of RNA or DNA or analogs that bind targets with high affinity and specificity. Aptamers are developed via the principles of natural selection, permitting an unbiased approach to therapeutic development. Thus, rather than using rational design to select a target and develop a targeting moiety, cycles of Systematic Evolution of Ligands by Exponential Enrichment (SELEX) are employed in cell culture or in vivo to identify aptamers against unknown targets. Antibody drug conjugates (ADCs) have shown some efficacy for GBM but are limited by their large size and thus depend on leakiness of the BBB. We have recently applied in vivo SELEX to develop anti-GBM aptamers (six-fold smaller in mass than IgG antibodies) and to select aptamer-drug conjugates. Here we report attempts to focus aptamer selection toward internalizing drug-delivery targets and resulting challenges involving loss of tumor specificity in vivo.