A targeting therapy strategy by aptamer-conjugated and drug-loaded droplets

In this study, an aptamer-conjugated and DOX-loaded droplet agent, comprising a core of liquid perfluoropentane (PFP) compound and lipid-based shell materials was fabricated using a sonication emulsification method. The cooperation with nucleic acid ligand, sgc8c aptamer, provided a specific affinity for CCRF-CEM cells to perform ultrasound-mediated targeting therapy. High intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) sonications were used to induce targeted acoustic droplet vaporization (ADV) to demonstrate the capability of integrating both mechanical and chemical therapeutic effects in just one modality. The cell viability results show 57% diminution in the viability of targeted CEM cells after the HIFU treatment which was 4.5 times stronger than those under the unconstrained ADV processes. This observation provided a whole new concept for processing the tumor therapy.