Aptamer application in targeted delivery systems for diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer.

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in women and, due to its diverse morphological features, variable clinical outcome and response to different therapeutic options, is known as a highly heterogeneous disease. Aptamers are a class of therapeutic oligonucleotides that are rapidly generated through the SELEX (Systematic Evolution of Ligands by EXponential enrichment) process. The unique properties of aptamers such as high binding affinity and selectivity, low or no immunogenicity and toxicity, low cost and thermal stability make them good potential pharmaceutical agents. In this review, we present the recent progress of aptamer application in targeted delivery systems for imaging and treatment of breast cancer. Furthermore, some analytical approaches such as electrochemical and optical aptasensors are introduced for the detection and diagnosis of breast cancer. Finally, we discuss the problems and challenges of aptamer application in this field.