Targeted APT8(16-34) obtained by cell-SELEX and its internalization with miR-23-5p into activated hepatic stellate cells.

Background: The activation of hepatic stellate cells play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of hepatic fibrosis. However, the current lack of specifically identified targets on these cells poses a significant challenge in developing targeted delivery tools for effective anti-hepatic fibrosis therapeutics in clinical practice.

Methods: Cell-systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment method was conducted on HSC-T6 cell line to screen out activated hepatic stellate cell-specific aptamers.