KHAN, HUMAMAKWANA, VAIDEHISANTOS, SOFIA N. dosALMEIDA, CARLOS E.B. deSANTOS-OLIVEIRA, RALPHMISSAILIDIS, SOTIRIS2021-12-092021-12-092021KHAN, HUMA; MAKWANA, VAIDEHI; SANTOS, SOFIA N. dos; ALMEIDA, CARLOS E.B. de; SANTOS-OLIVEIRA, RALPH; MISSAILIDIS, SOTIRIS. Development, characterization, and in vivo evaluation of a novel aptamer (anti-MUC1/Y) for breast cancer therapy. <b>Pharmaceutics</b>, v. 13, n. 8, p. 1-17, 2021. DOI: <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics13081239">10.3390/pharmaceutics13081239</a>. Disponível em: http://repositorio.ipen.br/handle/123456789/32376.1999-4923http://repositorio.ipen.br/handle/123456789/32376MUC1, the transmembrane glycoprotein Mucin 1, is usually found to be overexpressed in a variety of epithelial cancers playing an important role in disease progression. MUC1 isoforms such as MUC1/Y, which lacks the entire variable number of tandem repeat region, are involved in oncogenic processes by enhancing tumour initiation. MUC1/Y is therefore considered a promising target for the identification and treatment of epithelial cancers; but so far, the precise role of MUC1/Y remains to be elucidated. In this work, we developed and identified a DNA aptamer that specifically recognizes the splice variant MUC1/Y for the first time. The DNA aptamer could bind to a wide variety of human cancer cells, and treatment of MUC1/Y positive cells resulted in reduced growth in vitro. Moreover, MUC1/Y aptamer inhibited the tumour growth of breast cancer cells in vivo. The present study highlights the importance of targeting MUC1/Y for cancer treatment and unravels the suitability of a DNA aptamer to act as a new therapeutic tool.1-17openAccessneoplasmsmammary glandsdrugspharmacologykineticsArtigo de periódico81310.3390/pharmaceutics1308123986.2074.00