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Aptamers as Valuable Molecular Tools in Neurosciences.

ABSTRACT: Aptamers are short nucleic acids that interact with a variety of targets with high affinity and specificity. They have been shown to inhibit biological functions of cognate target proteins, and they are identifiable by an in vitro selection process, also termed SELEX (Systematic Evolution of Ligands by EXponential enrichment). Being nucleic acids, aptamers can be synthesized chemically or enzymatically. The latter renders RNA aptamers compatible with the cell's own transcription machinery and, thus, expressable inside cells. The synthesis of aptamers by chemical approaches opens up the possibility of producing aptamers on a large scale and enables a straightforward access to introduce modifications in a site-specific manner (e.g., fluorophores or photo-labile groups). These characteristics make aptamers broadly applicable (e.g., as an analytical, diagnostic, or separation tool). In this TechSight, we provide a brief overview on aptamer technology and the potential of aptamers as valuable research tools in neurosciences.

SUBMITTER: Wolter O

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6596636 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Aptamers as Valuable Molecular Tools in Neurosciences.

Wolter Olga O Mayer Günter G

The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience 20170301 10

Aptamers are short nucleic acids that interact with a variety of targets with high affinity and specificity. They have been shown to inhibit biological functions of cognate target proteins, and they are identifiable by an <i>in vitro</i> selection process, also termed SELEX (Systematic Evolution of Ligands by EXponential enrichment). Being nucleic acids, aptamers can be synthesized chemically or enzymatically. The latter renders RNA aptamers compatible with the cell's own transcription machinery ...[more]

PMID: 28275062

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Project description:The emergence of SARS-COV-2, the causative agent of new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has become a pandemic threat. Early and precise detection of the virus is vital for effective diagnosis and treatment. Various testing kits and assays, including nucleic acid detection methods, antigen tests, serological tests, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), have been implemented or are being explored to detect the virus and/or characterize cellular and antibody responses to the infection. However, these approaches have inherent drawbacks such as nonspecificity, high cost, are characterized by long turnaround times for test results, and can be labor-intensive. Also, the circulating SARS-COV-2 variant of concerns, reduced antibody sensitivity and/or neutralization, and possible antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE) have warranted the search for alternative potent therapeutics. Aptamers, which are single-stranded oligonucleotides, generated artificially by SELEX (Evolution of Ligands by Exponential Enrichment) may offer the capacity to generate high-affinity neutralizers and/or bioprobes for monitoring relevant SARS-COV-2 and COVID-19 biomarkers. This article reviews and discusses the prospects of implementing aptamers for rapid point-of-care detection and treatment of SARS-COV-2. We highlight other SARS-COV-2 targets (N protein, spike protein stem-helix), SELEX augmented with competition assays and in silico technologies for rapid discovery and isolation of theranostic aptamers against COVID-19 and future pandemics. It further provides an overview on site-specific bioconjugation approaches, customizable molecular scaffolding strategies, and nanotechnology platforms to engineer these aptamers into ultrapotent blockers, multivalent therapeutics, and vaccines to boost both humoral and cellular immunity against the virus. This article is categorized under: Therapeutic Approaches and Drug Discovery > Emerging Technologies Diagnostic Tools > Biosensing Therapeutic Approaches and Drug Discovery > Nanomedicine for Infectious Disease Therapeutic Approaches and Drug Discovery > Nanomedicine for Respiratory Disease.

Dataset Information

Aptamers as Valuable Molecular Tools in Neurosciences.

Publications

Aptamers as Valuable Molecular Tools in Neurosciences.

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