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- Lipidic aptamer-nanoparticle development for HPV associated cervical cancerPublication . Lopes, Melanie de Carvalho; Cruz, Carla Patricia Alves Freire Madeira da; Nunes, Jéssica LopesHuman Papillomavirus (HPV) is the main cause of cervical cancer, which is the second leading cause of cancer death in women. The main therapies for this disease include surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy, are intrusive and have many adverse effects. Several studies have therefore been conducted to improve the therapeutic strategies used in cervical cancer lesions associated with persistent HPV infection. Formulations have been widely used to treat vaginal lesions and are frequently recommended for the topical application of drugs. In this dissertation, liposomes functionalized with a DNA aptamer called AT11 and an acridine orange derivative C8 were produced. This aptamer was used to improve the selectivity of liposomes for cancer cells. Subsequently, the liposomes produced were incorporated into a formulation, prepared based on the universal placebo formulation, which included oregano essential oil (OEO) and their cytotoxic effect was evaluated. After the formulations were produced, they were characterized in terms of pH, buffering capacity, viscosity, osmolality, and bioadhesion, as well as the permeation of C8 into vaginal tissue. To assess its biological effect, cell viability, and internalization tests were carried out using the MTT assay and confocal microscopy, respectively. In addition, resistance to different microorganisms was also assessed. The prepared formulations were able to internalize cells and reduce cell viability, especially in cancer cell lines. At the same time, the formulations showed a promising effect in tests with microorganisms since they showed antibacterial and antifungal effects. In short, these results suggest that OEO can increase the cytotoxic effect of liposomes with associated C8 and that AT11 promotes their selectivity for cancer cells.