In vitro antibacterial effects of antilipopolysaccharide DNA aptamer-C1qrs complexes

Applications and Challenges of Bacteriostatic Aptamers in the Treatment of Common Pathogenic Bacteria Infections

The continuous evolution and spread of common pathogenic bacteria is a major challenge in diagnosis and treatment with current biotechnology and modern molecular medicine. To confront this challenge, scientists urgently need to find alternatives for traditional antimicrobial agents. Various bacteriostatic aptamers obtained through SELEX screening are one of the most promising strategies. These bacteriostatic aptamers can reduce bacterial infection by blocking bacterial toxin infiltration, inhibiting biofilm formation, preventing bacterial invasion of immune cells, interfering with essential biochemical processes, and other mechanisms. In addition, aptamers may also help enhance the function of other antibacterial materials/drugs when used in combination. This paper has reviewed the bacteriostatic aptamers in the treatment of common pathogenic bacteria infections. For this aspect, first, bacteriostatic aptamers and their screening strategies are summarized. Then, the effect of molecular tailoring and modification on the performance of the bacteriostatic aptamer is analyzed, and the antibacterial mechanism and antibacterial strategy based on aptamers are introduced. Finally, the key technical challenges and their development prospects in clinical treatment are also carefully discussed.

Successes and Failures of Static Aptamer-Target 3D Docking Models

While Molecular Dynamics simulation programs are probably superior for predicting the binding and affinity of aptamers and their cognate ligands, such molecular dynamics programs require more computing power and analysis time than static docking programs that are more widely accessible to the scientific community on the internet. Static docking programs can be used to investigate the geometric fit of rigid DNA or RNA aptamer 3D structures and their ligands to aid in predicting the relative affinities and cross-reactivity of various potential ligands. Herein, the author describes when such static 3D docking analysis has worked well to produce useful predictions or confirmation of high-affinity aptamer interactions or successful aptamer beacon behavior and when it has not worked well. The analysis of why failures may occur with static 3D computer models is also discussed.

SELEX against whole-cell bacteria resulted in lipopolysaccharide binding aptamers

Nucleic acid aptamers are target-specific oligonucleotides selected from combinatorial libraries through an iterative in vitro screening process known as Systemic Evolution of Ligands by Exponential Enrichment (SELEX). In this report, the selection of bacteria differentiating ssDNA aptamer candidates from a combinatorial library through the whole-cell SELEX method was performed. The enriched SELEX pool was sequenced using Illumina Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) technology and analyzed for the most abundant sequences using CLC Genomics Workbench. The sequencing data resulted in several oligonucleotide families from which three individual sequences were chosen per SELEX based on the copy numbers. The binding performance of the selected aptamers was assessed by flow cytometry and fluorescence spectroscopy, and the binding constants were estimated using binding saturation curves. Varying results were obtained from two independent SELEX procedures where the SELEX against the model gram-negative bacterium Escherichia coli provided more selective sequences while the SELEX library used against gram-positive bacterium Listeria monocytogenes did not evolve as expected. The sequences that emerged from E. coli SELEX were shown to bind Lipopolysaccharide residues (LPS) and inhibit LPS-induced macrophage polarization. Thus, it can be said that, performed whole-cell SELEX could be resulted as the selection of aptamers which can bind LPS and inhibit LPS induced inflammation response and thus can be candidates for the inhibition of bacterial infections. In future studies, the selected aptamer sequences could be structurally and chemically modified and exploited as potential diagnostic tools and therapeutic agents as LPS antagonists.

Applications in Which Aptamers Are Needed or Wanted in Diagnostics and Therapeutics

One strategy for bringing aptamers more into the mainstream of biomedical diagnostics and therapeutics is to exploit niche applications where aptamers are truly needed or wanted for their innate differences versus antibodies. This brief review article highlights some of those relatively rare applications in which aptamers are necessary or better suited to the user requirements than antibodies with explanations for why the aptamer is a necessary or superior choice. These situations include when no commercial antibody exists, when antibodies are excessively difficult to develop against a particular target because the target is highly toxic to host animals, when antibodies fail to discriminate closely related targets, when a smaller size is preferable to penetrate a tissue, when humanized monoclonal antibodies are too expensive and when the target is rapidly evolving or mutating. Examples of each are provided to illustrate these points.

Aptamers against Pathogenic Bacteria: Selection Strategies and Apta-assay/Aptasensor Application for Food Safety

Pathogenic bacteria are primarily kinds of detrimental agents that cause mankind illness via contaminated food with traits of multiple types, universality, and low content. In view of the detection demands for rapidity, aptamer recognition factors emerged as a substitution for antibodies, which are short single strands of nucleic acid selected via in vitro. They display certain superiorities over antibodies, such as preferable stability, liable modification, and cost-efficiency. Taking advantage of the situation, numerous aptamers against pathogenic bacteria have been successfully selected and applied, yet there are still restrictions on commercial availability. In this review, the strategies/approaches to key sections in pathogen aptamers SELEX and post-SELEX are summarized and sorted out. Recently, optical, electrochemical, and piezoelectric aptamer-based assays or sensors dedicated to pathogen detection have been critically reviewed. Ultimately, the existing challenges and future trends in this field are proposed to further promote development prospects.

Aptamer-Based Antibacterial and Antiviral Therapy against Infectious Diseases

Nucleic acid aptamers are single-stranded DNA or RNA molecules selected in vitro that can bind to a broad range of targets with high affinity and specificity. As promising alternatives to conventional anti-infective agents, aptamers have gradually revealed their potential in the combat against infectious diseases. This article provides an overview on the state-of-art of aptamer-based antibacterial and antiviral therapeutic strategies. Diverse aptamers targeting pathogen-related components or whole pathogenic cells are summarized according to the species of microorganisms. These aptamers exhibited remarkable in vitro and/or in vivo inhibitory effect for pathogenic invasion, enzymatic activities, or viral replication, even for some highly drug-resistant strains and biofilms. Aptamer-mediated drug delivery and controlled drug release strategies are also included herein. Critical technical barriers of therapeutic aptamers are briefly discussed, followed by some future perspectives for their implementation into clinical utility.

Oligonucleotide aptamers for pathogen detection and infectious disease control

During an epidemic or pandemic, the primary task is to rapidly develop precise diagnostic approaches and effective therapeutics. Oligonucleotide aptamer-based pathogen detection assays and control therapeutics are promising, as aptamers that specifically recognize and block pathogens can be quickly developed and produced through simple chemical synthesis. This work reviews common aptamer-based diagnostic techniques for communicable diseases and summarizes currently available aptamers that target various pathogens, including the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Moreover, this review discusses how oligonucleotide aptamers might be leveraged to control pathogen propagation and improve host immune system responses. This review offers a comprehensive data source to the further develop aptamer-based diagnostics and therapeutics specific for infectious diseases.

Potential applications of aptamers in veterinary science

Aptamers are small nucleic acids that fold in a three-dimensional conformation allowing them to bind specifically to a target. This target can be an organic molecule, free or carried in cells or tissues, or inorganic components, such as metal ions. Analogous to monoclonal antibodies, aptamers however have certain advantages over the latter: e.g., high specificity for their target, no to low immunogenicity and easy in vitro selection. Since their discovery more than 30 years ago, aptamers have led to various applications, although mainly restricted to basic research. This work reviews the applications of aptamers in veterinary science to date. First, we present aptamers, how they are selected and their properties, then we give examples of applications in food and environmental safety, as well as in diagnosis and medical treatment in the field of veterinary medicine. Because examples of applications in veterinary medicine are scarce, we explore the potential avenues for future applications based on discoveries made in human medicine. Aptamers may offer new possibilities for veterinarians to diagnose certain diseases—particularly infectious diseases—more rapidly or “at the patient’s bedside”. All the examples highlight the growing interest in aptamers and the premises of a potential market. Aptamers may benefit animals as well as their owners, breeders and even public health in a “One Health” approach.

Aptamers and Aptamer-Coupled Biosensors to Detect Water-Borne Pathogens

Aptamers can serve as efficient bioreceptors for the development of biosensing detection platforms. Aptamers are short DNA or RNA oligonucleotides that fold into specific structures, which enable them to selectively bind to target analytes. The method used to identify aptamers is Systematic Evolution of Ligands through Exponential Enrichment (SELEX). Target properties can have an impact on aptamer efficiencies. Therefore, characteristics of water-borne microbial targets must be carefully considered during SELEX for optimal aptamer development. Several aptamers have been described for key water-borne pathogens. Here, we provide an exhaustive overview of these aptamers and discuss important microbial aspects to consider when developing such aptamers.

Analysis of the anti-inflammatory effect of the aptamer LA27 and its binding mechanism

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is an important pathogenic factor and plays a key role in human diseases such as fever, shock, and sepsis. Blocking the toxicity of LPS through antagonism is considered the best choice for the treatment of LPS-induced diseases. In this research, nucleic acid aptamer LA27, which was previously selected and optimized by our group, was used as an LPS inhibitor to treat human HepG2 cells stimulated by LPS from four different sources (StLPS, EcoliLPS, PaLPS, and SeLPS): the levels of expression of three inflammatory cytokines factors (TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6) were evaluated by ELISA on LA27-treated and untreated cells incubated for 12 h with LPS. The results of the assays indicated that LA27 exhibited considerable anti-inflammatory activity. The binding site and interactions between aptamer LA27 and LPSs were also simulated using Molecular Operating Environment (MOE) 2018 software. MOE simulation results showed that, under a combination of the hydrophobic interaction, hydrogen bonding, and electrostatic interactions, the fatty acid chain of LPS could interact with the wide hydrophobic region of the aptamer, constituting its major groove, and formed stable complex of T-type. The present research indicated that LA27 might be a potential therapeutic agent for sepsis and other diseases, which provides a new path for the development of LPS antagonists.

Strategies to bioengineer aptamer-driven nanovehicles as exceptional molecular tools for targeted therapeutics: A review

Aptamers are a class of folded nucleic acid strands capable of binding to different target molecules with high affinity and selectivity. Over the years, they have gained a substantial amount of interest as promising molecular tools for numerous medical applications, particularly in targeted therapeutics. However, only the different treatment approaches and current developments of aptamer-drug therapies have been discussed so far, ignoring the crucial technical and functional aspects of constructing a therapeutically effective aptamer-driven drug delivery system that translates to improved in-vivo performance. Hence, this paper provides a comprehensive review of the strategies used to improve the therapeutic performance of aptamer-guided delivery systems. We focus on the different functional features such as drug deployment, payload capacity, in-vivo stability and targeting efficiency to further our knowledge in enhancing the cell-specific delivery of aptamer-drug conjugates. Each reported strategy is critically discussed to emphasize both the benefits provided in comparison with other similar techniques and to outline their potential drawbacks with respect to the molecular properties of the aptamers, the drug and the system to be designed. The molecular architecture and design considerations for an efficient aptamer-based delivery system are also briefly elaborated.

Research advances of DNA aptasensors for foodborne pathogen detection

Aptamers, referring to single-stranded DNA or RNA molecules can specifically recognize and bind to their targets. Based on their excellent specificity, sensitivity, high affinity, and simplicity of modification, aptamers offer great potential for pathogen detection and biomolecular screening. This article reviews aptamer screening technologies and aptamer application technologies, including gold-nanoparticle lateral flow assays, fluorescence assays, electrochemical assays, colorimetric assays, and surface-enhanced Raman assays, in the detection of foodborne pathogens. Although notable progress (more rapid, sensitive, and accurate) has been achieved in the field, challenges and drawbacks in their applications still remain to be overcome.

Colorimetric detection and typing of E. coli lipopolysaccharides based on a dual aptamer-functionalized gold nanoparticle probe

A rapid method for identification and typing of lipopolysaccharides (LPS) was developed by utilizing the different binding affinities between two kinds of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) functionalized with two aptamers. Aptamers against ethanolamine and E. coli O111:B4 LPS were used to functionalize the AuNPs. The AuNPs functionalized with ethanolamine aptamer can bind to ethanolamine and are termed general probe (G-probe). The G-probe can recognize any type of LPS because ethanolamine is a component of every type of LPS. This causes a sandwich-mediated aggregation of the AuNPs and a color change from red to blue. The AuNPs functionalized with aptamer against the LPS of E. coli O111:B4 specifically bind to O111:B4 LPS and are termed specific probe (S-probe). By using these two probes, a logic typing method was developed. It can detect LPS in concentrations between 2.5 and 20 μg·mL^-1 and with a 1 μg·mL^-1 detection limit. In the authors' perception, the use of a dual aptamer-based colorimetric method has a large potential in terms of selective detection of microorganisms. Graphical abstract Two aptamer functionalized AuNP probes, G-probe and S-probe, were prepared for LPS typing and detecting. E. coli O111:B4 LPS was easily distinguished from O55:B5 LPS according to the signal output configurations (On & On Vs On & Off) of a general probe (G-probe) and a specific probe (S-probe).

Femtomolar Detection of Lipopolysaccharide in Injectables and Serum Samples Using Aptamer-Coupled Reduced Graphene Oxide in a Continuous Injection-Electrostacking Biochip

A method for microfluidic sample preconcentration to detect femtomolar level of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is introduced, enabled by 6-carboxyfluorescein (6-FAM) labeled aptamer-LPS binding along with reduced graphene oxide (rGO). The free FAM-aptamers can be adsorbed onto the surface of rGO, resulting in fluorescence quenching of background signals. Conversely, the aptamer-LPS complex cannot be adsorbed by rGO, so the fluorescence is maintained and detected. When an electric field is applied across the microchannel with Nafion membrane in the chip, only the fluorescence of aptamer-LPS complex can be detected and stacked by continuous injection-electrostacking (CI-ES). The method shows a high selectivity (in the presence of pyrophosphate, FAD⁺, NAD⁺, AMP, ADP, ATP, phosphatidylcholine, LTA, and β-d-glucans which respond positively to LAL) to LPS and an extreme sensitivity with the limit of detection (LOD) at 7.9 fM (7.9 × 10^-4 EU/mL) and 8.3 fM (8.3 × 10^-4 EU/mL) for water sample and serum sample, respectively. As a practical application, this method can detect LPS in injections and serum samples of human and sepsis model mouse and quickly distinguish Gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli ( E. coli) from Gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus ( S. aureus) and fungus Candida albicans ( C. albicans). More importantly, by changing the aptamers based on different targets, we can detect different analytes. Therefore, aptamer-coupled rGO in a CI-ES biochip is a universal, sensitive, and specific method. For TOC only.

Therapeutic aptamers in discovery, preclinical and clinical stages

The aptamer field witnessed steady growth during the past 28 years as evident from the exponentially increasing number of related publications. The field is "coming of age", but like other biomedical research areas facing a global push towards translational research to carry ideas from bench- to bedside, there is pressure to show impact for aptamers at the clinical end. Being easy-to-make, non-immunogenic, stable and high-affinity nano-ligands, aptamers are perfectly poised to move in this direction. They can specifically bind targets ranging from small molecules to complex multimeric structures, making them potentially useful in a limitless variety of therapeutic approaches. This review will summarize efforts made to accomplish the therapeutic promise of aptamers, with a focus on aptamers directly acting as therapeutic molecules, rather than those used in targeted delivery of other drugs. The review will showcase representative examples at various stages of development, covering different disease categories.

Application of Aptamer-Based Biosensor for Rapid Detection of Pathogenic Escherichia coli

Pathogenic Escherichia coli (E. coli) widely exist in Nature and have always been a serious threat to the human health. Conventional colony forming units counting-based methods are quite time consuming and not fit for rapid detection for E. coli. Therefore, novel strategies for improving detection efficiency and sensitivity are in great demand. Aptamers have been widely used in various sensors due to their extremely high affinity and specificity. Successful applications of aptamers have been found in the rapid detection of pathogenic E. coli. Herein, we present the latest advances in screening of aptamers for E. coli, and review the preparation and application of aptamer-based biosensors in rapid detection of E. coli. Furthermore, the problems and new trends in these aptamer-based biosensors for rapid detection of pathogenic microorganism are also discussed.

Aptamers in the Therapeutics and Diagnostics Pipelines

Aptamers are short single-stranded DNA or RNA oligonucleotides that can selectively bind to small molecular ligands or protein targets with high affinity and specificity, by acquiring unique three-dimensional structures. Aptamers have the advantage of being highly specific, relatively small in size, non-immunogenic and can be easily stabilized by chemical modifications, thus allowing expansion of their diagnostic and therapeutic potential. Since the invention of aptamers in the early 1990s, great efforts have been made to make them clinically relevant for diseases like macular degeneration, cancer, thrombosis and inflammatory diseases. Furthermore, owing to the aforementioned advantages and unique adaptability of aptamers to point-of-care platforms, aptamer technology has created a stable niche in the field of in vitro diagnostics by enhancing the speed and accuracy of diagnoses. The aim of this review is to give an overview on aptamers, highlight the inherent therapeutic and diagnostic opportunities and challenges associated with them and present various aptamers that have reached therapeutic clinical trials, diagnostic markets or that have immediate translational potential for therapeutics and diagnostics applications.

Potential Inherent Stimulation of the Innate Immune System by Nucleic Acid Aptamers and Possible Corrective Approaches

It is well known that unmethylated 2′-deoxycytidine-phosphate-2′-guanine (CpG) sequences alone or in longer DNA and RNA oligonucleotides can act like pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) and trigger the innate immune response leading to deleterious cytokine production via Toll-like receptors (TLRs). Clearly, such CpG or CpG-containing sequences in aptamers intended for therapy could present very damaging side effects to patients. Previous antisense oligonucleotide developers were faced with the same basic CpG dilemma and devised not only avoidance, but other effective strategies from which current aptamer developers can learn to ameliorate or eliminate damaging CpG effects. These strategies include obvious methylation of cytosines in the aptamer structure, as long as it does not affect aptamer binding in vivo, truncation of the aptamer to its essential binding site, backbone modifications, co-administration of antagonistic or suppressive oligonucleotides, or other novel drugs under development to lessen the toxic CpG effect on innate immunity.

Oligonucleotide aptamers: promising and powerful diagnostic and therapeutic tools for infectious diseases

The entire human population is at risk of infectious diseases worldwide. Thus far, the diagnosis and treatment of human infectious diseases at the molecular and nanoscale levels have been extremely challenging tasks because of the lack of effective probes to identify and recognize biomarkers of pathogens. Oligonucleotide aptamers are a class of small nucleic acid ligands that are composed of single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) or RNA and act as affinity probes or molecular recognition elements for a variety of targets. These aptamers have an exciting potential for diagnose and/or treatment of specific diseases. In this review, we highlight areas where aptamers have been developed as diagnostic and therapeutic agents for both bacterial and viral infectious diseases as well as aptamer-based detection.

Further characterization and independent validation of a DNA aptamer-quantum dot-based magnetic sandwich assay for Campylobacter

Previously reported DNA aptamers developed against surface proteins extracted from Campylobacter jejuni were further characterized by aptamer-based Western blotting and shown to bind epitopes on proteins weighing ~16 and 60 kD from reduced C. jejuni and Campylobacter coli lysates. Proteins of these approximate weights have also been identified in traditional antibody-based Western blots of Campylobacter spp. Specificity of the capture and reporter aptamers from the previous report was further validated by aptamer-based ELISA-like (ELASA) colorimetric microplate assay. Finally, the limit of detection of the previously reported plastic-adherent aptamer-magnetic bead and aptamer-quantum dot sandwich assay (PASA) was validated by an independent food safety testing laboratory to lie between 5 and 10 C. jejuni cells per milliliter in phosphate buffered saline and repeatedly frozen and thawed chicken rinsate. Such ultrasensitive and rapid (30 min) aptamer-based assays could provide alternative or additional screening tools to enhance food safety testing for Campylobacter and other foodborne pathogens.

Highly sensitive detection of lipopolysaccharides using an aptasensor based on hybridization chain reaction

Lipopolysaccharides (LPS), integral components of the outer membrane of all gram-negative bacteria, are closely associated with foodborne diseases such as fever, diarrhea and hypotension, and thus, the early and sensitive detection of LPS is necessary. In this study, an aptasensor assay based on hybridization chain reaction (HCR) was developed to detect LPS. Briefly, two complementary stable species of biotinylated DNA hairpins coexisted in solution until the introduction of a detection probe triggered a hybridization chain reaction cascade. The DNA conjugates specifically reacted with the LPS, which were captured by the ethanolamine aptamer attached to the reaction well surface. After optimizing the key reaction conditions, such as the reaction time of HCR, the amount of the capture probe and detection probes, the increase in the LPS concentration was readily measured by the optical density value, and a relatively low detection limit (1.73 ng/mL) was obtained, with a linear response range of 1–10⁵ng/mL. The approach presented herein introduced the use of an aptasensor for LPS discrimination and HCR for signal amplification, offering a promising option for detecting LPS.

Recent Progress in Aptamer-Based Functional Probes for Bioanalysis and Biomedicine

Nucleic acid aptamers are short synthetic DNA or RNA sequences that can bind to a wide range of targets with high affinity and specificity. In recent years, aptamers have attracted increasing research interest due to their unique features of high binding affinity and specificity, small size, excellent chemical stability, easy chemical synthesis, facile modification, and minimal immunogenicity. These properties make aptamers ideal recognition ligands for bioanalysis, disease diagnosis, and cancer therapy. This review highlights the recent progress in aptamer selection and the latest applications of aptamer-based functional probes in the fields of bioanalysis and biomedicine.

Isolation of an Aptamer that Binds Specifically to E. coli

Escherichia coli is a bacterial species found ubiquitously in the intestinal flora of animals, although pathogenic variants cause major public health problems. Aptamers are short oligonucleotides that bind to targets with high affinity and specificity, and have great potential for use in diagnostics and therapy. We used cell-based Systematic Evolution of Ligands by EXponential enrichment (cell-SELEX) to isolate four single stranded DNA (ssDNA) aptamers that bind strongly to E. coli cells (ATCC generic strain 25922), with Kd values in the nanomolar range. Fluorescently labeled aptamers label the surface of E. coli cells, as viewed by fluorescent microscopy. Specificity tests with twelve different bacterial species showed that one of the aptamers–called P12-31—is highly specific for E. coli. Importantly, this aptamer binds to Meningitis/sepsis associated E. coli (MNEC) clinical isolates, and is the first aptamer described with potential for use in the diagnosis of MNEC-borne pathologies.

Aptamers against pathogenic microorganisms

An important current issue of modern molecular medicine and biotechnology is the search for new approaches to early diagnostic assays and adequate therapy of infectious diseases. One of the promising solutions to this problem might be a development of nucleic acid aptamers capable of interacting specifically with bacteria, protozoa, and viruses. Such aptamers can be used for the specific recognition of infectious agents as well as for blocking of their functions. The present review summarizes various modern SELEX techniques used in this field, and of several currently identified aptamers against viral particles and unicellular organisms, and their applications. The prospects of applying nucleic acid aptamers for the development of novel detection systems and antibacterial and antiviral drugs are discussed.

Single-Stranded DNA Aptamers against Pathogens and Toxins: Identification and Biosensing Applications

Molecular recognition elements (MREs) can be short sequences of single-stranded DNA, RNA, small peptides, or antibody fragments. They can bind to user-defined targets with high affinity and specificity. There has been an increasing interest in the identification and application of nucleic acid molecular recognition elements, commonly known as aptamers, since they were first described in 1990 by the Gold and Szostak laboratories. A large number of target specific nucleic acids MREs and their applications are currently in the literature. This review first describes the general methodologies used in identifying single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) aptamers. It then summarizes advancements in the identification and biosensing application of ssDNA aptamers specific for bacteria, viruses, their associated molecules, and selected chemical toxins. Lastly, an overview of the basic principles of ssDNA aptamer-based biosensors is discussed.

Predicting the Uncertain Future of Aptamer-Based Diagnostics and Therapeutics

Despite the great promise of nucleic acid aptamers in the areas of diagnostics and therapeutics for their facile in vitro development, lack of immunogenicity and other desirable properties, few truly successful aptamer-based products exist in the clinical or other markets. Core reasons for these commercial deficiencies probably stem from industrial commitment to antibodies including a huge financial investment in humanized monoclonal antibodies and a general ignorance about aptamers and their performance among the research and development community. Given the early failures of some strong commercial efforts to gain government approval and bring aptamer-based products to market, it may seem that aptamers are doomed to take a backseat to antibodies forever. However, the key advantages of aptamers over antibodies coupled with niche market needs that only aptamers can fill and more recent published data still point to a bright commercial future for aptamers in areas such as infectious disease and cancer diagnostics and therapeutics. As more researchers and entrepreneurs become familiar with aptamers, it seems inevitable that aptamers will at least be considered for expanded roles in diagnostics and therapeutics. This review also examines new aptamer modifications and attempts to predict new aptamer applications that could revolutionize biomedical technology in the future and lead to marketed products.

Application of DNA Aptamers and Quantum Dots to Lateral Flow Test Strips for Detection of Foodborne Pathogens with Improved Sensitivity versus Colloidal Gold

Preliminary studies aimed at improving the sensitivity of foodborne pathogen detection via lateral flow (LF) test strips by use of high affinity DNA aptamers for capture and reporter functions when coupled to red-emitting quantum dots (Qdot 655) are reported. A variety of DNA aptamers developed against Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, and Salmonella enterica were paired in capture and reporter combinations to determine which yielded the strongest detection of their cognate bacteria using a colloidal gold screening system. Several promising sandwich combinations were identified for each of the three bacterial LF strip systems. The best E. coli aptamer-LF system was further studied and yielded a visible limit of detection (LOD) of ~3,000 E. coli 8739 and ~6,000 E. coli O157:H7 in buffer. These LODs were reduced to ~300–600 bacterial cells per test respectively by switching to a Qdot 655 aptamer-LF system. Novel aspects of these assays such as the use of high levels of detergents to avoid quantum dot agglutination and enhance migration in analytical membranes, identification of optimal analytical membrane types, UV-immobilization of capture aptamers, and novel dual biotin/digoxigenin-end labeled aptamer streptavidin-colloidal gold or -Qdot 655 conjugates plus anti-digoxigenin antibody control lines are also discussed. In general, this work provides proof-of-principle for highly sensitive aptamer-Qdot LF strip assays for rapid foodborne pathogen detection.

Antimicrobial aptamers for detection and inhibition of microbial pathogen growth

Discovery of alternative sources of antimicrobial agents are essential in the ongoing battle against microbial pathogens. Legislative and scientific challenges considerably hinder the discovery and use of new antimicrobial drugs, and new approaches are in urgent demand. On the other hand, rapid, specific and sensitive detection of airborne pathogens is becoming increasingly critical for public health. In this respect affinity oligonucleotides, aptamers, provide unique opportunities for the development of nanotechnological solutions for such medical applications. In recent years, aptamers specifically recognizing microbial cells and viruses showed great potential in a range of analytical and therapeutic applications. This article describes the significant advances in the development of aptamers targeting specific pathogens. Therapeutic application of aptamers as neutralizing agents demonstrates great potential as a future source of antimicrobial agent.

A review of therapeutic aptamer conjugates with emphasis on new approaches

The potential to emulate or enhance antibodies with nucleic acid aptamers while lowering costs has prompted development of new aptamer-protein, siRNA, drug, and nanoparticle conjugates. Specific focal points of this review discuss DNA aptamers covalently bound at their 3' ends to various proteins for enhanced stability and greater pharmacokinetic lifetimes in vivo. The proteins can include Fc tails of IgG for opsonization, and the first component of complement (C1q) to trigger complement-mediated lysis of antibiotic-resistant Gram negative bacteria, cancer cells and possibly some parasites during vulnerable stages. In addition, the 3' protein adduct may be a biotoxin, enzyme, or may simply be human serum albumin (HSA) or a drug known to bind HSA, thereby retarding kidney and other organ clearance and inhibiting serum exonucleases. In this review, the author summarizes existing therapeutic aptamer conjugate categories and describes his patented concept for PCR-based amplification of double-stranded aptamers followed by covalent attachment of proteins or other agents to the chemically vulnerable overhanging 3' adenine added by Taq polymerase. PCR amplification of aptamers could dramatically lower the current $2,000/gram cost of parallel chemical oligonucleotide synthesis, thereby enabling mass production of aptamer-3'-protein or drug conjugates to better compete against expensive humanized monoclonal antibodies.

Isolation and characterization of DNA aptamers against Escherichia coli using a bacterial cell-systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment approach

Aptamers are powerful capturing probes against various targets such as proteins, small organic compounds, metal ions, and even cells. In this study, we isolated and characterized single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) aptamers against Escherichia coli. A total of 28 ssDNAs were isolated after 10 rounds of selection using a bacterial cell-SELEX (systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment) process. Other bacterial species (Klebsiella pneumoniae, Citrobacter freundii, Enterobacter aerogenes, and Staphylococcus epidermidis) were used for counter selection to enhance the selectivity of ssDNA aptamers against E. coli. Finally, four ssDNA aptamers showed high affinity and selectivity to E. coli, The dissociation constants (K(d)) of these four ssDNA aptamers to E. coli were estimated to range from 12.4 to 25.2 nM. These aptamers did not bind to other bacterial species, including four counter cells, but they showed affinity to different E. coli strains. The binding of these four aptamers to E. coli was observed directly by fluorescence microscopy.

Dynamics and visualization of MCF7 adenocarcinoma cell death by aptamer-C1q-mediated membrane attack

This study was designed to characterize binding of a DNA aptamer to breast cancer cells and to test whether that aptamer could be used to kill target cells in vitro as part of an aptamer-C1q protein conjugate by coupling to the classic complement cascade. A biotinylated DNA aptamer designated MUC1-5TR-1 was shown to decorate the plasma membranes of human breast adenocarcinoma (MCF7) cells via fluorescence confocal microscopy. Biotinylated aptamer binding successfully initiated the classical complement pathway leading to complement fixation on the target cells via a streptavidin-C1q conjugate as previously reported. Förster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) measurements demonstrated membrane depolarization upon aptamer binding, providing indirect evidence of membrane attack complex (MAC) formation as a result of aptamer binding. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and immunogold labeling confirmed that aptamer-mediated complement fixation results in MAC formation on the plasma membrane, leading to osmotic swelling and cell death. This approach may provide a much less toxic and more precisely targeted "antibody-like" treatment for cancers by coupling to the patient's innate immune system in much the same way as more expensive humanized monoclonal antibodies.

Application of Aptamer Based Biosensors for Detection of Pathogenic Microorganisms

Aptamer is a kind of synthetic oligonucleotides discriminated by in vitro screening and systematic evolution of exponential enrichment technology (SELEX), which can bind to certain targets (small molecules, proteins, or even entire cells) with extremely high specificity. Owing to the advantages of simple preparation, easy modification and good stability, aptamers have been used to construct biosensors for the detection of pathogenic microorganisms. This paper presents the latest advances in SELEX for screening aptamers for pathogenic microorganisms, demonstrates some reported aptamers for pathogenic microorganisms (protozoa, viruses, bacteria), and reviews aptamer based biosensors for detection of pathogenic microorganisms. Finally, the new trends in aptamer based biosensors for detection of pathogenic microorganisms are also discussed.

Harnessing aptamers for electrochemical detection of endotoxin

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS), also known as endotoxin, triggers a fatal septic shock; therefore, fast and accurate detection of LPS from a complex milieu is of primary importance. Several LPS affinity binders have been reported so far but few of them have proved their efficacy in developing electrochemical sensors capable of selectively detecting LPS from crude biological liquors. In this study, we identified 10 different single-stranded DNA aptamers showing specific affinity to LPS with dissociation constants (K(d)) in the nanomolar range using a NECEEM-based non-SELEX method. Based on the sequence and secondary structure analysis of the LPS binding aptamers, an aptamer exhibiting the highest affinity to LPS (i.e., B2) was selected to construct an impedance biosensor on a gold surface. The developed electrochemical aptasensor showed excellent sensitivity and specificity in the linear detection range from 0.01 to 1 ng/mL of LPS with significantly reduced detection time compared with the traditional Limulus amoebocyte lysate (LAL) assay.

Selection and analytical applications of aptamers binding microbial pathogens

DNA aptamers specifically recognizing microbial cells and viruses have a range of analytical and therapeutic applications. This article describes recent advances in the development of aptamers targeting specific pathogens (e.g., live bacteria, whole viral particles, and virally-infected mammalian cells). Specific aptamers against pathogens have been used as affinity reagents to develop sandwich assays, to label and to image cells, to bind with cells for flow-cytometry analysis, and to act as probes for development of whole-cell biosensors. Future applications of aptamers to pathogens will benefit from recent advances in improved selection and new aptamers containing modified nucleotides, particularly slow off-rate modified aptamers (SOMAmers).

Methods To Identify Aptamers against Cell Surface Biomarkers

Aptamers are nucleic acid-based ligands identified through a process of molecular evolution named SELEX (Systematic Evolution of Ligands by Exponential enrichment). During the last 10-15 years, numerous aptamers have been developed specifically against targets present on or associated with the surface of human cells or infectious pathogens such as viruses, bacteria, fungi or parasites. Several of the aptamers have been described as potent probes, rivalling antibodies, for use in flow cytometry or microscopy. Some have also been used as drugs by inhibiting or activating functions of their targets in a manner similar to neutralizing or agonistic antibodies. Additionally, it is straightforward to conjugate aptamers to other agents without losing their affinity and they have successfully been used in vitro and in vivo to deliver drugs, siRNA, nanoparticles or contrast agents to target cells. Hence, aptamers identified against cell surface biomarkers represent a promising class of ligands. This review presents the different strategies of SELEX that have been developed to identify aptamers for cell surface-associated proteins as well as some of the methods that are used to study their binding on living cells.

Aptamer–biotin–streptavidin–C1q complexes can trigger the classical complement pathway to kill cancer cells

Nucleic acid aptamers are regarded as rivals for antibodies and as such are being investigated for their therapeutic potential. In the present work, it is shown that two different high-affinity DNA aptamers developed previously by Ferreira et al. against MUC1 antigen (designated MUC1-5TR-1 and MUC1-S1.3/S2.2) on MCF7 breast cancer cells can be linked to the first component of complement (C1q) via a biotin–streptavidin system and induce significant killing of MCF7 cells in vitro. Cell viability was assessed by Trypan blue uptake and absorbance at 590 nm of stained cells following buffer washes and lysis in 1% SDS. While the killing effect is demonstrable versus various controls, dependent on aptamer dose, and reproducible, it appears to kill maximally about half of treated MCF7 cells. Possible reasons for the marginal killing effect include antigenic shedding in vitro and membrane-bound complement regulatory proteins (mCRPs) on the cell surface such as CD46, CD55, and CD59 which act to inhibit complement-mediated lysis of cells. Future in vitro research could benefit from application of mCRP-specific aptamers in combination with anti-MUC1 aptamers to overcome surface protective mechanisms while attacking the plasma membrane of MCF7 cells or other MUC1-expressing cancer cells. However, in vivo such a combination could have deleterious effects on normal MUC1-expressing cells as well.

Plastic-adherent DNA aptamer-magnetic bead and quantum dot sandwich assay for Campylobacter detection

DNA aptamers were developed against MgCl(2)-extracted surface proteins from Campylobacter jejuni. The two highest affinity aptamers were selected for use in a magnetic bead (MB) and red quantum dot (QD)-based sandwich assay scheme. The assay was evaluated using both heat-killed and live C. jejuni and exhibits detection limits as low as an average of 2.5 colony forming unit (cfu) equivalents in buffer and 10-250 cfu in various food matrices. The assay exhibits low cross-reactivity with bacterial species outside the Campylobacter genus, but exhibits substantial cross-reactivity with C. coli and C. lari. The assay was evaluated with a spectrofluorometer and a commercially available handheld fluorometer, which yielded comparable detection limits and ranges. Remarkably, the sandwich assay components adhere to the inside face of polystyrene cuvettes even in food matrices near neutral pH, thereby enabling a rapid homogeneous assay, because fluorescence is concentrated to a small, thin planar area and background fluorescence from the bulk solution is minimized. The plastic cuvette-adherent technology coupled to a sensitive handheld fluorometer may enable rapid (15-20 min), portable detection of foodborne pathogens from "farm-to-fork" by obviating the slow enrichment culture phase used by other food safety tests.