A photo-activated aptamer–drug conjugate for targeted drug delivery

A photo-activated aptamer-drug conjugate, HG1-9-DNP, was developed based on an aptamer HG1-9 and a photolabile naphthalimide derivative DNP. HG1-9-DNP could be internalized into cells mediated by TfR, then photocleaved, and released a promising cytotoxic agent, DNNH, which arrested the cell cycle at the G2/M phase, resulting in high photo-induced cytotoxicity.