Background: RNA aptamers are nucleic acids that bind to molecular targets with comparable specificity and affinity seen with antibodies. Unlike antibodies, aptamers can be produced economically via chemical synthesis, can be chemically modified, and have low immunogenicity. Aptamers can be used to target variety of small molecules for disease treatment. Aptamers Addressing Restenosis (UIRF #13006) Restenosis occurs after a stent procedure when the surrounding vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) grow enough around the stent to close the blood vessels. Restenosis occurs in about 23% of bare stent procedures and about 10% of drug-eluting stent procedures. Currently, the therapeutic agents used in drug-eluting stents suppress the growth of endothelial cells, which are needed to prevent clot formation. Incorporating aptamers into drug-eluting stents would inhibit the migration and proliferation of VSMCs while still allowing beneficial endothelial cell growth. The researchers have identified RNA aptamers that internalize into VSMCs and/or specifically inhibit VSMC activation. These reagents can be developed for the treatment of several cardiovascular pathologies including in-stent restenosis and vascular remodeling associated with arteriosclerosis, vein graft disease, and cardiac allograft arteriopathy. The aptamers discovered in these studies can be optimized for in vivo biomedical imaging to identify regions at risk for blood clots and to document cellular response to therapy. https://research.uiowa.edu/uirf/pages/technologies/d/274/vascular-smooth-muscle-cell-targetingaptamers/