Nucleic Acid-Based Assembly and Use of the Assembly in Cancer Therapy

Simple SummaryContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

This invention discloses a nucleic acid-based nanocarrier for targeted cancer therapy, comprising two main components: (1) a nucleic acid aptamer that specifically binds to cancer-related cell surface markers (e.g., cMet) and (2) a nucleic acid motif engineered to physically capture and load a drug, typically a chemotherapeutic agent like doxorubicin. Both the aptamer and the drug-binding motif are covalently attached to lipids, enabling them to self-assemble into stable nanostructures. The drug is released in a controlled manner upon exposure to specific light (visible, UV, or X-ray) thanks to photo-responsive chemical groups integrated into the carrier. This assembly delivers high drug loads directly into target cancer cells and releases them with minimal impact on healthy cells.

Use CasesContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Targeted delivery of chemotherapy drugs to cancer cells, especially solid tumors (e.g., breast, liver, lung cancers).
• Photo-triggered, site-specific drug release in oncological treatments, minimizing systemic toxicity.
• Precision therapy for tumors expressing specific biomarkers such as cMet, via aptamer selection.
• Development of responsive drug delivery systems for other diseases that benefit from site-specific or time-specific drug release.
• Co-delivery of nucleic acid therapeutics, siRNA, or regulatory molecules in cancer therapy.

BenefitsContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Highly selective targeting of cancer cells, reducing off-target effects and toxicity to healthy tissue.
• Photo-responsive (light-triggered) drug release allows precise spatiotemporal control over dosing.
• Enhanced serum stability and cellular uptake due to lipid modification, overcoming common limitations of conventional aptamer drug carriers.
• Simple and modular self-assembly process, enabling flexible adaptation to different aptamers, drugs, or disease markers.
• Able to carry high drug payloads, potentially improving therapeutic efficacy compared to free drug or less efficient carriers.
• Broad applicability to various drugs and aptamers, and possible multi-targeting via mixing different aptamers in the same assembly.

Technical Classifications (CPCs)

Inventors & Applicants

Patent Abstract

The present invention relates to a nucleic acid-based assembly comprising: at least one nucleic acid aptamer, and at least one nucleic acid motif designed to physically capture a drug, wherein the nucleic acid motif comprises one or more photo-responsive moieties that effect the release of the drug upon irradiation, wherein the aptamer and the nucleic acid motif each are covalently linked to one or more lipids, wherein the lipid-modified aptamer and nucleic acid motif form the assembly through noncovalent interaction. The invention further relates to use of the nucleic acid-based assembly in the treatment of cancer.