Thromb Haemost 2005; 93(06): 1014-1020
DOI: 10.1160/TH04-12-0790
Review Article
Schattauer GmbH

Nucleic acid aptamers in therapeutic anticoagulation

Technology, development and clinical application
Richard C. Becker
1   Cardiovascular Thrombosis Research Center, Center for Genetics and Cellular Therapies, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA
,
Christopher Rusconi
2   Department of Experimental Surgery, Center for Genetics and Cellular Therapies, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA
,
Bruce Sullenger
3   Department of Genetics, Center for Genetics and Cellular Therapies, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

Received 10 December 2004

Accepted after revision 01 March 2005

Publication Date:
11 December 2017 (online)

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Summary

The evolution of anticoagulant therapy for the prevention and treatment of thrombotic disorders has progressed at a relatively modest pace considering the scope of the problem and our current understanding of platelet biology, coagulation proteases, and vascular science as they apply to protective haemostasis and pathologic thrombosis. Recent observations, dedicated to cellular-based models of coagulation, provide fundamental constructs, mechanistic clarity, and potentially unparalleled opportunity for accelerating the development and wide-scale clinical use of safe, effective, regulatable and patient-specific therapies. The following review introduces a novel domain of anticoagulant therapy referred to as aptamers (derived from the Latin aptus – to fit), considering their history, development, and potential application in patient care arenas.