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  • Drug-delivering aptamers target leukemia stem cells for one-two knockout punch

    Apr 3, 2025 9:45 am by Liz Ahlberg TouchstoneResearch
    Led by bioengineering professor Xing Wang, Illinois researchers developed drug-delivering DNA aptamers that target elusive leukemia stem cells. Photo by Fred Zwicky

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    • Led by bioengineering professor Xing Wang, Illinois researchers developed drug-delivering DNA aptamers that target elusive leukemia stem cells. Photo by Fred Zwicky

    The aptamers - short single-strand snippets of DNA that can target molecules like larger antibodies do - not only deliver cancer-fighting drugs, but also are themselves toxic to the cancer stem cells, the researchers said.