1
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Fang Z, Feng X, Tang F, Jiang H, Han S, Tao R, Lu C. Aptamer Screening: Current Methods and Future Trend towards Non-SELEX Approach. BIOSENSORS 2024; 14:350. [PMID: 39056626 PMCID: PMC11274700 DOI: 10.3390/bios14070350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2024] [Revised: 07/15/2024] [Accepted: 07/15/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024]
Abstract
Aptamers are nucleic acid sequences that specifically bind with target molecules and are vital to applications such as biosensing, drug development, disease diagnostics, etc. The traditional selection procedure of aptamers is based on the Systematic Evolution of Ligands by an Exponential Enrichment (SELEX) process, which relies on repeating cycles of screening and amplification. With the rapid development of aptamer applications, RNA and XNA aptamers draw more attention than before. But their selection is troublesome due to the necessary reverse transcription and transcription process (RNA) or low efficiency and accuracy of enzymes for amplification (XNA). In light of this, we review the recent advances in aptamer selection methods and give an outlook on future development in a non-SELEX approach, which simplifies the procedure and reduces the experimental costs. We first provide an overview of the traditional SELEX methods mostly designed for screening DNA aptamers to introduce the common tools and methods. Then a section on the current screening methods for RNA and XNA is prepared to demonstrate the efforts put into screening these aptamers and the current difficulties. We further predict that the future trend of aptamer selection lies in non-SELEX methods that do not require nucleic acid amplification. We divide non-SELEX methods into an immobilized format and non-immobilized format and discuss how high-resolution partitioning methods could facilitate the further improvement of selection efficiency and accuracy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhihui Fang
- Key Laboratory of Specialty Agri-Products Quality and Hazard Controlling Technology of Zhejiang Province, College of Life Sciences, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou 310018, China; (Z.F.); (X.F.); (F.T.); (H.J.); (S.H.)
| | - Xiaorui Feng
- Key Laboratory of Specialty Agri-Products Quality and Hazard Controlling Technology of Zhejiang Province, College of Life Sciences, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou 310018, China; (Z.F.); (X.F.); (F.T.); (H.J.); (S.H.)
| | - Fan Tang
- Key Laboratory of Specialty Agri-Products Quality and Hazard Controlling Technology of Zhejiang Province, College of Life Sciences, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou 310018, China; (Z.F.); (X.F.); (F.T.); (H.J.); (S.H.)
| | - Han Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Specialty Agri-Products Quality and Hazard Controlling Technology of Zhejiang Province, College of Life Sciences, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou 310018, China; (Z.F.); (X.F.); (F.T.); (H.J.); (S.H.)
| | - Shuyuan Han
- Key Laboratory of Specialty Agri-Products Quality and Hazard Controlling Technology of Zhejiang Province, College of Life Sciences, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou 310018, China; (Z.F.); (X.F.); (F.T.); (H.J.); (S.H.)
| | - Ran Tao
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Advanced Thin Films and Applications, College of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Chenze Lu
- Key Laboratory of Specialty Agri-Products Quality and Hazard Controlling Technology of Zhejiang Province, College of Life Sciences, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou 310018, China; (Z.F.); (X.F.); (F.T.); (H.J.); (S.H.)
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2
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Zhou H, Li Y, Wu W. Aptamers: Promising Reagents in Biomedicine Application. Adv Biol (Weinh) 2024; 8:e2300584. [PMID: 38488739 DOI: 10.1002/adbi.202300584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2023] [Revised: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 06/16/2024]
Abstract
Nucleic acid aptamers, often termed "chemical antibodies," are short, single-stranded DNA or RNA molecules, which are selected by SELEX. In addition to their high specificity and affinity comparable to traditional antibodies, aptamers have numerous unique advantages such as wider identification of targets, none or low batch-to-batch variations, versatile chemical modifications, rapid mass production, and lack of immunogenicity. These characteristics make aptamers a promising recognition probe for scientific research or even clinical application. Aptamer-functionalized nanomaterials are now emerged as a promising drug delivery system for various diseases with decreased side-effects and improved efficacy. In this review, the technological strategies for generating high-affinity and biostable aptamers are introduced. Moreover, the development of aptamers for their application in biomedicine including aptamer-based biosensors, aptamer-drug conjugates and aptamer functionalized nanomaterials is comprehensively summarized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongxin Zhou
- Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Ministry of Education, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, P. R. China
| | - Yuhuan Li
- Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Ministry of Education, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, P. R. China
| | - Weizhong Wu
- Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Ministry of Education, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, P. R. China
- Clinical Center for Biotherapy, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, P. R. China
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3
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Zhang F, Shi W, Guo L, Liu S, He J. The Programmable Catalytic Core of 8-17 DNAzymes. Molecules 2024; 29:2420. [PMID: 38893308 PMCID: PMC11173380 DOI: 10.3390/molecules29112420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2024] [Revised: 05/12/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
8-17 DNAzymes (8-17, 17E, Mg5, and 17EV1) are in vitro-selected catalytic DNA molecules that are capable of cleaving complementary RNAs. The conserved residues in their similar catalytic cores, together with the metal ions, were suggested to contribute to the catalytic reaction. Based on the contribution of the less conserved residues in the bulge loop residues (W12, A15, A15.0) and the internal stem, new catalytic cores of 8-17 DNAzymes were programmed. The internal stem CTC-GAG seems to be more favorable for the DNAzymes than CCG-GGC, while an extra W12.0 led to a significant loss of activity of DNAzymes, which is contrary to the positive effect of A15.0, by which a new active DNAzyme 17EM was derived. It conducts a faster reaction than 17E. It is most active in the presence of Pb2+, with the metal ion preference of Pb2+ >> Zn2+ > Mn2+ > Ca2+ ≈ Mg2+. In the Pb2+ and Zn2+-mediated reactions of 17EM and 17E, the same Na+- and pH dependence were also observed as what was observed for 17E and other 8-17 DNAzymes. Therefore, 17EM is another member of the 8-17 DNAzymes, and it could be applied as a potential biosensor for RNA and metal ions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fumei Zhang
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China;
- Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Taiping 27, Beijing 100850, China; (W.S.); (L.G.)
| | - Weiguo Shi
- Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Taiping 27, Beijing 100850, China; (W.S.); (L.G.)
| | - Lei Guo
- Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Taiping 27, Beijing 100850, China; (W.S.); (L.G.)
| | - Shihui Liu
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China;
| | - Junlin He
- Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Taiping 27, Beijing 100850, China; (W.S.); (L.G.)
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4
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Thanaskody K, Natashah FN, Nordin F, Kamarul Zaman WSW, Tye GJ. Designing molecules: directing stem cell differentiation. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2024; 12:1396405. [PMID: 38803845 PMCID: PMC11129639 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2024.1396405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Stem cells have been widely applied in regenerative and therapeutic medicine for their unique regenerative properties. Although much research has shown their potential, it remains tricky in directing stem cell differentiation. The advancement of genetic and therapeutic technologies, however, has facilitated this issue through development of design molecules. These molecules are designed to overcome the drawbacks previously faced, such as unexpected differentiation outcomes and insufficient migration of endogenous or exogenous MSCs. Here, we introduced aptamer, bacteriophage, and biological vectors as design molecules and described their characteristics. The methods of designing/developing discussed include various Systematic Evolution of Ligands by Exponential Enrichment (SELEX) procedures, in silico approaches, and non-SELEX methods for aptamers, and genetic engineering methods such as homologous recombination, Bacteriophage Recombineering of Electroporated DNA (BRED), Bacteriophage Recombineering with Infectious Particles (BRIP), and genome rebooting for bacteriophage. For biological vectors, methods such as alternate splicing, multiple promoters, internal ribosomal entry site, CRISPR-Cas9 system and Cre recombinase mediated recombination were used to design viral vectors, while non-viral vectors like exosomes are generated through parental cell-based direct engineering. Besides that, we also discussed the pros and cons, and applications of each design molecule in directing stem cell differentiation to illustrate their great potential in stem cells research. Finally, we highlighted some safety and efficacy concerns to be considered for future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kalaiselvaan Thanaskody
- Centre for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine (CTERM), Faculty of Medicine, National University of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Fajriyah Nur Natashah
- Centre for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine (CTERM), Faculty of Medicine, National University of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Fazlina Nordin
- Centre for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine (CTERM), Faculty of Medicine, National University of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Wan Safwani Wan Kamarul Zaman
- Department of Pharmaceutical Life Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Centre for Innovation in Medical Engineering (CIME), Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Gee Jun Tye
- Institute for Research in Molecular Medicine (INFORMM), Universiti Sains Malaysia, Gelugor, Malaysia
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Zheng K, Hu J, Hu C, Liu X, Wang Y, Han H, Xing W, Yang L, Zhang J, Hong Q, Hao F, Li W. Establishing an ANO1-Based Cell Model for High-Throughput Screening Targeting TRPV4 Regulators. Molecules 2024; 29:1036. [PMID: 38474548 DOI: 10.3390/molecules29051036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2024] [Revised: 02/24/2024] [Accepted: 02/25/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Transient receptor potential vanilloid 4 (TRPV4) is a widely expressed cation channel that plays an important role in many physiological and pathological processes. However, most TRPV4 drugs carry a risk of side effects. Moreover, existing screening methods are not suitable for the high-throughput screening (HTS) of drugs. In this study, a cell model and HTS method for targeting TRPV4 channel drugs were established based on a calcium-activated chloride channel protein 1 Anoctamin 1 (ANO1) and a double mutant (YFP-H148Q/I152L) of the yellow fluorescent protein (YFP). Patch-clamp experiments and fluorescence quenching kinetic experiments were used to verify that the model could sensitively detect changes in intracellular Ca2+ concentration. The functionality of the TRPV4 cell model was examined through temperature variations and different concentrations of TRPV4 modulators, and the performance of the model in HTS was also evaluated. The model was able to sensitively detect changes in the intracellular Ca2+ concentration and also excelled at screening TRPV4 drugs, and the model was more suitable for HTS. We successfully constructed a drug cell screening model targeting the TRPV4 channel, which provides a tool to study the pathophysiological functions of TRPV4 in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Zheng
- College of Laboratory Medicine, Jilin Medical University, Jilin 132000, China
| | - Jiang Hu
- College of Laboratory Medicine, Jilin Medical University, Jilin 132000, China
| | - Cheng Hu
- College of Laboratory Medicine, Jilin Medical University, Jilin 132000, China
| | - Xueying Liu
- School of Medical Technology, Beihua University, Jilin 132000, China
| | - Yanyan Wang
- School of Medical Technology, Beihua University, Jilin 132000, China
| | - Haojian Han
- College of Laboratory Medicine, Jilin Medical University, Jilin 132000, China
| | - Wenzhu Xing
- School of Medical Technology, Beihua University, Jilin 132000, China
| | - Liu Yang
- School of Medical Technology, Beihua University, Jilin 132000, China
| | - Junran Zhang
- Zhiyuan College, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Qiyuan Hong
- College of Laboratory Medicine, Jilin Medical University, Jilin 132000, China
| | - Feng Hao
- College of Laboratory Medicine, Jilin Medical University, Jilin 132000, China
| | - Wenliang Li
- Jilin Collaborative Innovation Center for Antibody Engineering, Jilin Medical University, Jilin 132000, China
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6
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Zhang C, Tang S, Wang M, Li L, Li J, Wang D, Mi X, Zhang Y, Tan X, Yue S. "Triple-Punch" Strategy Exosome-Mimetic Nanovesicles for Triple Negative Breast Cancer Therapy. ACS NANO 2024. [PMID: 38335265 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.3c10568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the most malignant breast cancer, with high rates of relapse and metastasis. Because of the nonspecific targeting of chemotherapy and insurmountable aggressiveness, TNBC therapy lacks an effective strategy. Exosomes have been reported as an efficient drug delivery system (DDS). CD82 is a tumor metastasis inhibitory molecule that is enriched in exosomes. Aptamer AS1411 specifically targets TNBC cells due to its high expression of nucleolin. We generated a "triple-punch" cell membrane-derived exosome-mimetic nanovesicle system that integrated with CD82 overexpression, AS1411 conjugation, and doxorubicin (DOX) delivery. CD82 enrichment effectively inhibits the migration of TNBC cells. AS1411 conjugation specifically targets TNBC cells. DOX loading effectively inhibits proliferation and induces apoptosis of TNBC cells. Our results demonstrate a system of exosome-mimetic nanovesicles with "triple-punch" that may facilitate TNBC therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenhong Zhang
- School of Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Nankai University, 94 Weijin Road, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Shuangshuang Tang
- School of Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Nankai University, 94 Weijin Road, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Meilin Wang
- School of Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Nankai University, 94 Weijin Road, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Luhan Li
- School of Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Nankai University, 94 Weijin Road, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Jun Li
- School of Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Nankai University, 94 Weijin Road, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Dekun Wang
- School of Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Nankai University, 94 Weijin Road, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Xue Mi
- School of Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Nankai University, 94 Weijin Road, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Yuying Zhang
- School of Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Nankai University, 94 Weijin Road, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Xiaoyue Tan
- School of Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Nankai University, 94 Weijin Road, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Shijing Yue
- School of Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Nankai University, 94 Weijin Road, Tianjin 300071, China
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7
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Ding Y, Gu L, Wang X, Zhang Z, Zhang H, Liu J. Affinity-Guided Coevolution of Aptamers for Guanine, Xanthine, Hypoxanthine, and Adenine. ACS Chem Biol 2024; 19:208-216. [PMID: 38194356 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.3c00660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2024]
Abstract
The simultaneous evolution of multiple aptamers can drastically increase the speed of aptamer discovery. Most previous studies used the same concentration for different targets, leading to the dominance of the libraries by one or a few aptamers and a low success rate. To foster the best aptamers to grow independently in the sequence space, it is important to (1) use low target concentrations close to their dissociation constants and (2) stop at an early round before any sequence starts to dominate. In this study, we demonstrate this affinity-guided selection concept using the capture-SELEX method to isolate aptamers for four important purines: guanine (5 μM), xanthine (50 μM), hypoxanthine (10 μM), and adenine (10 μM). The round 9 library was split, and in round 10, the four targets were individually used to elute the binding sequences. Using thioflavin T fluorescence spectroscopy and isothermal titration calorimetry, we confirmed highly selective aptamers for xanthine, guanine, and adenine. These aptamers have Kd values below 1 μM and around 100-fold selectivity against most competing analytes, and they compare favorably with existing RNA aptamers and riboswitches. A separate selection was performed using hypoxanthine alone, and no selective aptamer was achieved, even with negative selection, explaining the lack of its aptamer in our mixed selection. This affinity-guided multiplex SELEX study offers fundamental insights into aptamer selection and provides high-quality aptamers for three important purines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuzhe Ding
- Department of Chemistry, Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Lide Gu
- Department of Chemistry, Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Xiaoqin Wang
- Department of Chemistry, Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Ziyu Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Hanxiao Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Juewen Liu
- Department of Chemistry, Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada
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8
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Yang G, Liu W, Zhao Y, Jiang G, Zhu C, Qu F. Induction of binding sites for RecA aptamers by differentiated-competition capillary Electrophoresis-SELEX. Talanta 2024; 267:125213. [PMID: 37757693 DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2023.125213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2023] [Revised: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023]
Abstract
The binding site-oriented SELEX strategy is an effective way to promote the functional evolution of aptamers. Here we report a novel aptamer screening strategy (Differentiated-competition Capillary Electrophoresis-SELEX), which enables candidate aptamers to be directionally induced to bind to different active sites of RecA. In this strategy, we introduce two competing binding factors into the "binding - dissociation" dynamic equilibrium system of RecA and ssDNA libraries. Due to the completely different binding mechanism of the competitive factor and the ssDNA library, it exerts different interference on the binding of RecA and the ssDNA library, which directed the binding site of aptamer candidates during the SELEX process. Multifunctional aptamers with high affinity and specificity were found to inhibit RecA activity by binding to different active sites. In conclusion, the SELEX method developed in our current study have identified a variety of biologically functional aptamers with relatively well-defined binding sites that regulate RecA protein activity, which has potential applications and future prospects for accurate screening of biological functional aptamers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ge Yang
- CAMS Key Laboratory of Antiviral Drug Research, Beijing Key Laboratory of Antimicrobial Agents, NHC Key Laboratory of Biotechnology of Antibiotics, Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100050, China
| | - Wenjing Liu
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Drug Resistance Tuberculosis Research, Beijing Tuberculosis and Thoracic Tumor Research Institute, and Beijing Chest Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Yi Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, 5 South Zhongguancun Street, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Guangyu Jiang
- CAMS Key Laboratory of Antiviral Drug Research, Beijing Key Laboratory of Antimicrobial Agents, NHC Key Laboratory of Biotechnology of Antibiotics, Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100050, China
| | - Chao Zhu
- Institute of Quality Standard and Testing Technology for Agro-products, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan, 250100, China; Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory Test Technology on Food Quality and Safety, Jinan, 250100, China.
| | - Feng Qu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, 5 South Zhongguancun Street, Beijing, 100081, China.
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9
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Hariri AA, Cartwright AP, Dory C, Gidi Y, Yee S, Thompson IAP, Fu KX, Yang K, Wu D, Maganzini N, Feagin T, Young BE, Afshar BH, Eisenstein M, Digonnet MJF, Vuckovic J, Soh HT. Modular Aptamer Switches for the Continuous Optical Detection of Small-Molecule Analytes in Complex Media. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2024; 36:e2304410. [PMID: 37975267 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202304410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2023] [Revised: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
Aptamers are a promising class of affinity reagents because signal transduction mechanisms can be built into the reagent, so that they can directly produce a physically measurable output signal upon target binding. However, endowing the signal transduction functionality into an aptamer remains a trial-and-error process that can compromise its affinity or specificity and typically requires knowledge of the ligand binding domain or its structure. In this work, a design architecture that can convert an existing aptamer into a "reversible aptamer switch" whose kinetic and thermodynamic properties can be tuned without a priori knowledge of the ligand binding domain or its structure is described. Finally, by combining these aptamer switches with evanescent-field-based optical detection hardware that minimizes sample autofluorescence, this study demonstrates the first optical biosensor system that can continuously measure multiple biomarkers (dopamine and cortisol) in complex samples (artificial cerebrospinal fluid and undiluted plasma) with second and subsecond-scale time responses at physiologically relevant concentration ranges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amani A Hariri
- Department of Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Alyssa P Cartwright
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Constantin Dory
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Yasser Gidi
- Department of Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Steven Yee
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Ian A P Thompson
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Kaiyu X Fu
- Department of Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Kiyoul Yang
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Diana Wu
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Nicolò Maganzini
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Trevor Feagin
- Department of Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Brian E Young
- Department of Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Behrad Habib Afshar
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | | | - Michel J F Digonnet
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Jelena Vuckovic
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - H Tom Soh
- Department of Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
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10
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Zhu C, Feng Z, Qin H, Chen L, Yan M, Li L, Qu F. Recent progress of SELEX methods for screening nucleic acid aptamers. Talanta 2024; 266:124998. [PMID: 37527564 DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2023.124998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Revised: 07/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/03/2023]
Abstract
Nucleic acid aptamers are oligonucleotide sequences screened by an in vitro methodology called Systematic Evolution of Ligands by Exponential Enrichment (SELEX). Known as "chemical antibodies", aptamers can achieve specific recognition towards the targets through conformational changes with high affinity, and possess multiple attractive features including, but not limited to, easy and inexpensive to prepare by chemical synthesis, relatively stable and low batch-to-batch variability, easy modification and signal amplification, and low immunogenicity. Now, aptamers are attracting researchers' attentions from more than 25 disciplines, and have showed great potential for application and economic benefits in disease diagnosis, environmental detection, food security, drug delivery and discovery. Although some aptamers exist naturally as the ligand-binding elements of riboswitches, SELEX is a recognized method for aptamers screening. After thirty-two years of development, a series of SELEX methods have been investigated and developed, as well as have shown unique advantages to improve sequence performances or to explore screening mechanisms. This review would mainly focus on the novel or improved SELEX methods that are available in the past five years. Firstly, we present a clear overview of the aptamer's history, features, and SELEX development. Then, we highlight the specific examples to emphasize the recent progress of SELEX methods in terms of carrier materials, technical improvements, real sample-improved screening, post-SELEX and other methods, as well as their respects of screening strategies, implementation features, screening parameters. Finally, we discuss the remaining challenges that have the potential to hinder the success of SELEX and aptamers in practical applications, and provide the suggestions and future directions for developing more convenient, efficient, and stable SELEX methods in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Zhu
- Institute of Quality Standard and Testing Technology for Agro-products, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan, 250100, China; Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory Test Technology on Food Quality and Safety, Jinan, 250100, China
| | - Ziru Feng
- Institute of Quality Standard and Testing Technology for Agro-products, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan, 250100, China; Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory Test Technology on Food Quality and Safety, Jinan, 250100, China
| | - Hongwei Qin
- Institute of Quality Standard and Testing Technology for Agro-products, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan, 250100, China; Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory Test Technology on Food Quality and Safety, Jinan, 250100, China
| | - Lu Chen
- Institute of Quality Standard and Testing Technology for Agro-products, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan, 250100, China; Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory Test Technology on Food Quality and Safety, Jinan, 250100, China.
| | - Mengmeng Yan
- Institute of Quality Standard and Testing Technology for Agro-products, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan, 250100, China; Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory Test Technology on Food Quality and Safety, Jinan, 250100, China.
| | - Linsen Li
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Feng Qu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, 100081, China
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11
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Liu J, Ren Z, Sun Y, Xu L, Wei D, Tan W, Ding D. Investigation of the Relationship between Aptamers' Targeting Functions and Human Plasma Proteins. ACS NANO 2023; 17:24329-24342. [PMID: 38044589 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.3c10238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/05/2023]
Abstract
Aptamers are single-stranded DNA or RNA molecules capable of recognizing targets via specific three-dimensional structures. Taking advantage of this unique targeting function, aptamers have been extensively applied to bioanalysis and disease theranostics. However, the targeting functionality of aptamers in the physiological milieu is greatly impeded compared with their in vitro applications. To investigate the physiological factors that adversely affect the in vivo targeting ability of aptamers, we herein systematically studied the interactions between human plasma proteins and aptamers and the specific effects of plasma proteins on aptamer targeting. Microscale thermophoresis and flow cytometry analysis showed that plasma interacted with aptamers, restricting their affinity toward targeted tumor cells. Further pull-down assay and proteomic identification verified that the interactions between aptamers and plasma proteins were mainly involved in complement activation and immune response as well as showed structure-selective and sequence-specific features. Particularly, the fibronectin 1 (FN1) protein showed dramatically specific interactions with nucleolin (NCL) targeting aptamer AS1411. The competitive binding between FN1 and NCL almost deprived the AS1411 aptamer's targeting ability in vivo. In order to maintain the targeting function in the physiological milieu, a series of optimizations were performed via the chemical modifications of AS1411 aptamer, and 3'-terminal pegylation was demonstrated to be resistant to the interaction with FN1, leading to improved tumor-targeting effects. This work emphasizes the physiological environment influences on aptamers targeting functionality and suggests that rational design and modification of aptamers to minimize the nonspecific interaction with plasma proteins might be effective to maintain aptamer functionality in future clinical uses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia Liu
- Institute of Molecular Medicine (IMM), Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhiqiang Ren
- Institute of Molecular Medicine (IMM), Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, People's Republic of China
- College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai 200234, People's Republic of China
| | - Yang Sun
- Institute of Molecular Medicine (IMM), Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, People's Republic of China
| | - Liujun Xu
- Institute of Molecular Medicine (IMM), Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, People's Republic of China
| | - Dali Wei
- Institute of Molecular Medicine (IMM), Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, People's Republic of China
| | - Weihong Tan
- Institute of Molecular Medicine (IMM), Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, People's Republic of China
- The Cancer Hospital of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Zhejiang Cancer Hospital), Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310022, People's Republic of China
- Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory (MBL), State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, College of Biology, Aptamer Engineering Center of Hunan Province, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, People's Republic of China
| | - Ding Ding
- Institute of Molecular Medicine (IMM), Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, People's Republic of China
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12
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Ji C, Wei J, Zhang L, Hou X, Tan J, Yuan Q, Tan W. Aptamer-Protein Interactions: From Regulation to Biomolecular Detection. Chem Rev 2023; 123:12471-12506. [PMID: 37931070 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.3c00377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2023]
Abstract
Serving as the basis of cell life, interactions between nucleic acids and proteins play essential roles in fundamental cellular processes. Aptamers are unique single-stranded oligonucleotides generated by in vitro evolution methods, possessing the ability to interact with proteins specifically. Altering the structure of aptamers will largely modulate their interactions with proteins and further affect related cellular behaviors. Recently, with the in-depth research of aptamer-protein interactions, the analytical assays based on their interactions have been widely developed and become a powerful tool for biomolecular detection. There are some insightful reviews on aptamers applied in protein detection, while few systematic discussions are from the perspective of regulating aptamer-protein interactions. Herein, we comprehensively introduce the methods for regulating aptamer-protein interactions and elaborate on the detection techniques for analyzing aptamer-protein interactions. Additionally, this review provides a broad summary of analytical assays based on the regulation of aptamer-protein interactions for detecting biomolecules. Finally, we present our perspectives regarding the opportunities and challenges of analytical assays for biological analysis, aiming to provide guidance for disease mechanism research and drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cailing Ji
- Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory (MBL), State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, China
| | - Junyuan Wei
- Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory (MBL), State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, China
| | - Lei Zhang
- Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory (MBL), State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, China
| | - Xinru Hou
- Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory (MBL), State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, China
| | - Jie Tan
- Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory (MBL), State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, China
| | - Quan Yuan
- Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory (MBL), State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, China
| | - Weihong Tan
- Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory (MBL), State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, China
- The Cancer Hospital of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Zhejiang Cancer Hospital), Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310022, China
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13
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Fast, instrument-free and low-cost selection of high-affinity aptamers. Nat Biotechnol 2023:10.1038/s41587-023-01980-9. [PMID: 37798415 DOI: 10.1038/s41587-023-01980-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/07/2023]
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14
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Ding Y, Liu J. Quantitative Comparison of Capture-SELEX, GO-SELEX, and Gold-SELEX for Enrichment of Aptamers. Anal Chem 2023; 95:14651-14658. [PMID: 37721984 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.3c02477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/20/2023]
Abstract
Since 1990, numerous methods for aptamer selection have been developed, although a quantitative comparison of their sequence enrichment is lacking. In this study, we compared the enrichment factors of three library-immobilization SELEX methods (capture-SELEX, GO-SELEX, and gold-SELEX). We used a spiked library that contained multiple DNA aptamers with different affinities for adenosine. The aptamer separation efficiency was measured using qPCR, and all of the three methods showed a very low DNA release (<1%) in the presence of 100 μM adenosine. Among these, barely any DNA was released from the gold nanoparticles. Deep sequencing was used to compare the enrichment of three aptamers: Ade1301, Ade1304, and the classical aptamer. Enrichment up to 30 to 50-fold was observed only for the capture-SELEX method, whereas the other two methods showed enrichment factors below 1. By blocking the primer-binding regions of the library, GO-SELEX reached up to 14% enrichment. Finally, the enrichment of aptamers based on nonspecific release and target-induced release was discussed, and the advantages of capture-SELEX were rationalized. Taken together, these results indicate that capture-SELEX is a much more efficient method for enriching aptamers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuzhe Ding
- Department of Chemistry, Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Juewen Liu
- Department of Chemistry, Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada
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15
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Thompson IA, Saunders J, Zheng L, Hariri AA, Maganzini N, Cartwright AP, Pan J, Yee S, Dory C, Eisenstein M, Vuckovic J, Soh HT. An antibody-based molecular switch for continuous small-molecule biosensing. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadh4978. [PMID: 37738337 PMCID: PMC10516488 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adh4978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/24/2023]
Abstract
We present a generalizable approach for designing biosensors that can continuously detect small-molecule biomarkers in real time and without sample preparation. This is achieved by converting existing antibodies into target-responsive "antibody-switches" that enable continuous optical biosensing. To engineer these switches, antibodies are linked to a molecular competitor through a DNA scaffold, such that competitive target binding induces scaffold switching and fluorescent signaling of changing target concentrations. As a demonstration, we designed antibody-switches that achieve rapid, sample preparation-free sensing of digoxigenin and cortisol in undiluted plasma. We showed that, by substituting the molecular competitor, we can further modulate the sensitivity of our cortisol switch to achieve detection at concentrations spanning 3.3 nanomolar to 3.3 millimolar. Last, we integrated this switch with a fiber optic sensor to achieve continuous sensing of cortisol in a buffer and blood with <5-min time resolution. We believe that this modular sensor design can enable continuous biosensor development for many biomarkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian A.P. Thompson
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Jason Saunders
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Liwei Zheng
- Department of Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Amani A. Hariri
- Department of Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Nicolò Maganzini
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Alyssa P. Cartwright
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Jing Pan
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Steven Yee
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Constantin Dory
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Michael Eisenstein
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Department of Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Jelena Vuckovic
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Hyongsok Tom Soh
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Department of Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
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16
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Zhao Y, Li AZ, Liu J. Capture-SELEX for Chloramphenicol Binding Aptamers for Labeled and Label-Free Fluorescence Sensing. ENVIRONMENT & HEALTH (WASHINGTON, D.C.) 2023; 1:102-109. [PMID: 37614296 PMCID: PMC10442912 DOI: 10.1021/envhealth.3c00017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2023] [Revised: 04/15/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 08/25/2023]
Abstract
Chloramphenicol (CAP) is a potent antibiotic. Due to its side effects, CAP is currently banned in most countries, but it is still found in many food products and in the environment. Developing aptamer-based biosensors for the detection of CAP has interested many researchers. While both RNA and DNA aptamers were previously reported for CAP, they were all obtained by immobilization of the CAP base, which omitted the two chlorine atoms. In this work, DNA aptamers were selected using the library-immobilized method and free unmodified CAP. Three families of aptamers were obtained, and the best one named CAP1 showed a dissociation constant (Kd) of 9.8 μM using isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC). A fluorescent strand-displacement sensor showed a limit of detection (LOD) of 14 μM CAP. Thioflavin T (ThT) staining allowed label-free detection of CAP with a LOD of 1 μM in buffer, 1.8 μM in Lake Ontario water, and 3.6 μM in a wastewater sample. Comparisons were made with previously reported aptamers, and ITC failed to show binding of a previously reported 80-mer aptamer. Due to the small size and well-defined secondary structures of CAP1, this aptamer will find analytical applications for environmental and food monitoring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yichen Zhao
- Department of Chemistry,
Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, Water Institute, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Albert Zehan Li
- Department of Chemistry,
Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, Water Institute, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Juewen Liu
- Department of Chemistry,
Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, Water Institute, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada
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17
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Aliyu AW, Mohd Nazri MN, Mohd Zaidi NF, Mohd Fadzli Mustaffa K. Square wave voltammetry based electrochemical determination of affinity of cholesterol triethylene glycol modified DNA-aptamers for protoporphyrin IX. Heliyon 2023; 9:e18861. [PMID: 37609428 PMCID: PMC10440451 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e18861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2023] [Revised: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent advancement in molecular medicine has seen applications of advanced biotechnology tools such as aptamer technology in therapeutics and diagnostics. Aptamer technology has witnessed various approaches including "Click-Chemistry" towards modifying aptamer structure to improve its potentials, but limited studies have reported the influence of such alteration on aptamer's specificity and affinity for their targets. Here, we utilized square wave voltammetry (SWV) electrochemical sensing based on heme to show the effects of cholesterol-triethylene-glycol (COL-TEG) modification of protoporphyrin-IX DNA-aptamers (OKA_24 and OKA_26) on their affinity for heme. Binding was evaluated by immobilizing 5 μM of heme onto cysteamine-glutaraldehyde-coated gold-electrode to construct electrochemical biosensor. Sensing of native/modified-aptamer was achieved by incubating their varying concentrations (9.76 nM - 10 μM) with heme-coated gold-electrode in HKSCM buffer pH 5, for 15 min. Chloroquine (2.5 μM) and non-binding HPIX-aptamer (2.5 μM) served as controls. Ferrocene was the redox solution used for SWV analysis. Protoporphyrin-IX DNA-aptamers specificity for heme was not tarnish by lipid conjugation. Selective binding of 2.5 μM of COL-TEG-OKA_24 and COL-TEG-OKA_26 to heme induced peak-current reduction by 30.68% and 24% respectively. Incubation of OKA_24 and OKA_26 aptamers produced resistance to current flow through the heme-coated gold-electrode by 23.21% and 14.4 8% respectively. Affinity SWV reveals that cholesterol conjugation decreases the affinity of COL-TEG-OKA_24 (K D = 4 7.13 ± 3.767 nM) and COL-TEG-OKA_24 (K D = 84.6 ± 8.7 nM) by 3- fold. There is a need to check the impact of such alteration on inhibition of heme to hemozoin polymerization, a process mediated by Plasmodium falciparum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdul Wahab Aliyu
- Institute for Research in Molecular Medicine, Health Campus, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 16150 Kubang Kerian, Kota Bharu, Kelantan, Malaysia
- Pharmaceutical Microbiology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Gombe State University, P.M.B. 127, Tudun Wada, Gombe State, Nigeria
| | - Muhammad Najmi Mohd Nazri
- Institute for Research in Molecular Medicine, Health Campus, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 16150 Kubang Kerian, Kota Bharu, Kelantan, Malaysia
| | - Nur Fatihah Mohd Zaidi
- Institute for Research in Molecular Medicine, Health Campus, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 16150 Kubang Kerian, Kota Bharu, Kelantan, Malaysia
| | - Khairul Mohd Fadzli Mustaffa
- Institute for Research in Molecular Medicine, Health Campus, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 16150 Kubang Kerian, Kota Bharu, Kelantan, Malaysia
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18
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Cheng F, Jiang Y, Kong B, Lin H, Shuai X, Hu P, Gao P, Zhan L, Huang C, Li C. Multi-Catcher Polymers Regulate the Nucleolin Cluster on the Cell Surface for Cancer Therapy. Adv Healthc Mater 2023; 12:e2300102. [PMID: 36988195 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202300102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2023] [Revised: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023]
Abstract
Cell signal transduction mediated by cell surface ligand-receptor is crucial for regulating cell behavior. The oligomerization or hetero-aggregation of the membrane receptor driven by the ligand realizes the rearrangement of apoptotic signals, providing a new ideal tool for tumor therapy. However, the construction of a stable model of cytomembrane receptor aggregation and the development of a universal anti-tumor therapy model on the cellular surface remain challenging. This work describes the construction of a "multi-catcher" flexible structure GC-chol-apt-cDNA with a suitable integration of the oligonucleotide aptamer (apt) and cholesterol (chol) on a polymer skeleton glycol chitosan (GC), for the regulation of the nucleolin cluster through strong polyvalent binding and hydrophobic membrane anchoring on the cell surface. This oligonucleotide aptamer shows nearly 100-fold higher affinity than that of the monovalent aptamer and achieves stable anchoring to the plasma membrane for up to 6 h. Moreover, it exerts a high tumor inhibition both in vitro and in vivo by activating endogenous mitochondrial apoptosis pathway through the cluster of nucleolins on the cell membrane. This multi-catcher nano-platform combines the spatial location regulation of cytomembrane receptors with the intracellular apoptotic signaling cascade and represents a promising strategy for antitumor therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng Cheng
- Key Laboratory of Luminescence Analysis and Molecular Sensing (Southwest University), Ministry of Education, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, P. R. China
| | - Yongjian Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Luminescence Analysis and Molecular Sensing (Southwest University), Ministry of Education, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, P. R. China
| | - Bo Kong
- Key Laboratory of Luminescence Analysis and Molecular Sensing (Southwest University), Ministry of Education, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, P. R. China
| | - Huarong Lin
- Key Laboratory of Luminescence Analysis and Molecular Sensing (Southwest University), Ministry of Education, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, P. R. China
| | - Xinjia Shuai
- Key Laboratory of Luminescence Analysis and Molecular Sensing (Southwest University), Ministry of Education, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, P. R. China
| | - Pingping Hu
- College of Pharmacy, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, China
| | - Pengfei Gao
- Key Laboratory of Luminescence Analysis and Molecular Sensing (Southwest University), Ministry of Education, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, P. R. China
| | - Lei Zhan
- Key Laboratory of Luminescence Analysis and Molecular Sensing (Southwest University), Ministry of Education, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, P. R. China
| | - Chengzhi Huang
- Key Laboratory of Luminescence Analysis and Molecular Sensing (Southwest University), Ministry of Education, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, P. R. China
| | - Chunmei Li
- Key Laboratory of Luminescence Analysis and Molecular Sensing (Southwest University), Ministry of Education, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, P. R. China
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19
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Gao T, Li W, Ma J, Chen Y, Wang Z, Sun N, Pei R. Selection of DNA aptamer recognizing CD44 for high-efficiency capture of circulating tumor cells. Talanta 2023; 262:124728. [PMID: 37247446 DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2023.124728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2023] [Revised: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Cancer stem cells play critical roles in cancer progression, cancer invasion and metastasis, and cancer recurrence. CD44 is known as a specific surface marker of cancer stem cells, which has been well-studied in cancer invasion and metastasis. Herein, we successfully selected the DNA aptamers for recognizing CD44+ cells using Cell-SELEX strategy, in which the engineered CD44 overexpression cells were used as target cells for selection. The optimized aptamer candidate C24S showed high binding affinity with the Kd value of 14.54 nM and good specificity. Then, the aptamer C24S was employed to prepare the functional aptamer-magnetic nanoparticles (C24S-MNPs) for CTC capture. To investigate the capture efficiency and sensitivity of C24S-MNPs, series of cell capture tests were performed using artificial samples with 10-200 of HeLa cells spiked into 1 mL PBS or PBMCs isolated from 1 mL peripheral blood, obtaining an efficiency of 95% and 90%, respectively. More importantly, we finally explored the facility of C24S-MNPs for CTC detection in blood samples from clinical cancer patients, indicating a potential and feasible strategy for cancer diagnostic technology in clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tian Gao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Nano-Bio Interface, Suzhou Institute of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou, 215123, China
| | - Wenjing Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Nano-Bio Interface, Suzhou Institute of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou, 215123, China; School of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China
| | - Jialing Ma
- CAS Key Laboratory of Nano-Bio Interface, Suzhou Institute of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou, 215123, China; Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, 215004, China
| | - Ying Chen
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, 215004, China
| | - Zhili Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Nano-Bio Interface, Suzhou Institute of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou, 215123, China
| | - Na Sun
- CAS Key Laboratory of Nano-Bio Interface, Suzhou Institute of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou, 215123, China; School of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China
| | - Renjun Pei
- CAS Key Laboratory of Nano-Bio Interface, Suzhou Institute of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou, 215123, China; School of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China.
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20
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Yang LF, Ling M, Kacherovsky N, Pun SH. Aptamers 101: aptamer discovery and in vitro applications in biosensors and separations. Chem Sci 2023; 14:4961-4978. [PMID: 37206388 PMCID: PMC10189874 DOI: 10.1039/d3sc00439b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2023] [Accepted: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 05/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Aptamers are single-stranded nucleic acids that bind and recognize targets much like antibodies. Recently, aptamers have garnered increased interest due to their unique properties, including inexpensive production, simple chemical modification, and long-term stability. At the same time, aptamers possess similar binding affinity and specificity as their protein counterpart. In this review, we discuss the aptamer discovery process as well as aptamer applications to biosensors and separations. In the discovery section, we describe the major steps of the library selection process for aptamers, called systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX). We highlight common approaches and emerging strategies in SELEX, from starting library selection to aptamer-target binding characterization. In the applications section, we first evaluate recently developed aptamer biosensors for SARS-CoV-2 virus detection, including electrochemical aptamer-based sensors and lateral flow assays. Then we discuss aptamer-based separations for partitioning different molecules or cell types, especially for purifying T cell subsets for therapeutic applications. Overall, aptamers are promising biomolecular tools and the aptamer field is primed for expansion in biosensing and cell separation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucy F Yang
- Department of Bioengineering and Molecular Engineering and Sciences Institute, University of Washington Seattle Washington USA
| | - Melissa Ling
- Department of Bioengineering and Molecular Engineering and Sciences Institute, University of Washington Seattle Washington USA
| | - Nataly Kacherovsky
- Department of Bioengineering and Molecular Engineering and Sciences Institute, University of Washington Seattle Washington USA
| | - Suzie H Pun
- Department of Bioengineering and Molecular Engineering and Sciences Institute, University of Washington Seattle Washington USA
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21
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Lv QY, Cui HF, Song X. Aptamer-based technology for gastric cancer theranostics. ANALYTICAL METHODS : ADVANCING METHODS AND APPLICATIONS 2023; 15:2142-2153. [PMID: 37114324 DOI: 10.1039/d3ay00415e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Gastric cancer is one of the most common causes of cancer death worldwide. This cancer exhibits high molecular and phenotype heterogeneity. The overall survival rate for gastric cancer is very low because it is always diagnosed in the advanced stages. Therefore, early detection and treatment are of great significance. Currently, biomedical studies have tapped the potential clinical applicability of aptamer-based technology for gastric cancer diagnosis and targeted therapy. Herein, we summarize the enrichment and evolution of relevant aptamers, followed by documentation of the recent developments in aptamer-based techniques for early diagnosis and precision therapy for gastric cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi-Yan Lv
- School of Life Sciences, Zhengzhou University, 100# Science Avenue, Zhengzhou 450001, People's Republic of China.
| | - Hui-Fang Cui
- School of Life Sciences, Zhengzhou University, 100# Science Avenue, Zhengzhou 450001, People's Republic of China.
| | - Xiaojie Song
- School of Life Sciences, Zhengzhou University, 100# Science Avenue, Zhengzhou 450001, People's Republic of China.
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22
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Establishment of a CaCC-based Cell Model and Method for High-throughput Screening of M3 Receptor Drugs. Cell Biochem Biophys 2023; 81:49-58. [PMID: 36445617 DOI: 10.1007/s12013-022-01119-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2022] [Accepted: 11/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Muscarinic acetylcholine receptor subtype 3 (M3 receptor) is a G Protein-Coupled Receptor (GPCR) that mediates many important physiological functions. Currently, most M3 receptor drugs also have high affinity for other subtypes of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (mAChRs) and produce the risk of side effects. Therefore, in order to find M3 receptor drugs with high specificity, high activity and low side effects, we established a cell model and method for efficient and sensitive screening of M3 receptor based on calcium-activated chloride channels (CaCCs), and this method is also suitable for the screening of other GPCR drugs. This screening model consists of Fischer rat thyroid follicular epithelial (FRT) cells that endogenously express M3 receptors, CaCCs, and the indicator YFP-H148Q/I152L. We verified that the model can sensitively detect changes in intracellular Ca2+ concentration using fluorescence quenching kinetics experiments, confirmed the screening function of the model by applying available M3 receptor drugs, and also evaluated the good performance of the model in high-throughput screening.
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Liu Y, Liu J. Salt-Toggled Capture Selection of Uric Acid Binding Aptamers. Chembiochem 2023; 24:e202200564. [PMID: 36394510 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202200564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2022] [Revised: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Uric acid is the end-product of purine metabolism in humans and an important biomarker for many diseases. To achieve the detection of uric acid without using enzymes, we previously selected a DNA aptamer for uric acid with a Kd of 1 μM but the aptamer required multiple Na+ ions for binding. Saturated binding was achieved with around 700 mM Na+ and the binding at the physiological condition was much weaker. In this work, a new selection was performed by alternating Mg2+ -containing buffers with Na+ and Li+ . After 13 rounds of selection, a new aptamer sequence named UA-Mg-1 was obtained. Isothermal titration calorimetry confirmed aptamer binding in both selection buffers, and the Kd was around 8 μM. The binding of UA-Mg-1 to UA required only Mg2+ . This is an indicator of successful switching of metal dependency via the salt-toggled selection method. The UA-Mg-1 aptamer was engineered into a fluorescent biosensor based on the strand-displacement assay with a limit of detection of 0.5 μM uric acid in the selection buffer. Finally, comparison with the previously reported Na+ -dependent aptamer and a xanthine/uric acid riboswitch was also made.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yibo Liu
- Department of Chemistry, Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Waterloo, N2L3G1, Waterloo, ON, Canada.,Centre for Eye and Vision Research (CEVR), 17 W Hong Kong Science Park, Hong Kong, 999077, China
| | - Juewen Liu
- Department of Chemistry, Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Waterloo, N2L3G1, Waterloo, ON, Canada.,Centre for Eye and Vision Research (CEVR), 17 W Hong Kong Science Park, Hong Kong, 999077, China
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24
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Kesler V, Fu K, Chen Y, Park CH, Eisenstein M, Murmann B, Soh HT. Tailoring electrode surface charge to achieve discrimination and quantification of chemically similar small molecules with electrochemical aptamers. ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS 2023; 33:2208534. [PMID: 36819738 PMCID: PMC9937077 DOI: 10.1002/adfm.202208534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Electrochemical biosensors based on structure-switching aptamers offer many advantages because they can operate directly in complex samples and offer the potential to integrate with miniaturized electronics. Unfortunately, these biosensors often suffer from cross-reactivity problems when measuring a target in samples containing other chemically similar molecules, such as precursors or metabolites. While some progress has been made in selecting highly specific aptamers, the discovery of these reagents remains slow and costly. In this work, we demonstrate a novel strategy to distinguish molecules with miniscule difference in chemical composition (such as a single hydroxyl group) - with cross reactive aptamer probes - by tuning the charge state of the surface on which the aptamer probes are immobilized. As an exemplar, we show that our strategy can distinguish between DOX and many structurally similar analytes, including its primary metabolite doxorubicinol (DOXol). We then demonstrate the ability to accurately quantify mixtures of these two molecules based on their differential response to sensors with different surface-charge properties. We believe this methodology is general and can be extended to a broad range of applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vladimir Kesler
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Department of Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Kaiyu Fu
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Department of Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Yihang Chen
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Chan Ho Park
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Department of Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Michael Eisenstein
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Boris Murmann
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - H. Tom Soh
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Department of Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
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25
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Li P, Zhan H, Tao S, Xie Z, Huang J. Bio-inspired aptamers decorated gold nanoparticles enable visualized detection of malathion. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2023; 11:1165724. [PMID: 36937762 PMCID: PMC10020530 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.1165724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Biosensors always respond to the targets of interest in a specific manner, employing biological or bio-mimic recognition elements such as antibodies and aptamers. Inspired by target recognition in nature, an aptamer-mediated, gold nanoparticle-based sensing approach is developed in this work for effective determination of malathion. The sensing system consists of negatively charged aptamer probes, and polycationic proteins, protamine, as well as exceptional colorimetric nanoprobes, barely gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). Protamine molecules bound to aptamer probes hinder the aggregation of AuNPs, while no such inhibition is maintained when aptamer-specific malathion is introduced into the solution, thus leading to the solution colour change from red to blue observable by the naked eye. The assay is accomplished via a mix-and-measure step within 40 min with a detection limit as low as 1.48 μg/L (3σ/s rule). The assay method also exhibits high selectivity and good applicability for the quantification of malathion in tap water with recovery rates of 98.9%-109.4%. Additionally, the good detection accuracy is also confirmed by the high-performance liquid chromatography method. Therefore, the non-enzymatic, label- and device-free characteristics make it a robust tool for malathion assay in agricultural, environmental, and medical fields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng Li
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou,China
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang,China
| | - Haonan Zhan
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou,China
| | - Sijian Tao
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou,China
| | - Zhuohao Xie
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou,China
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang,China
| | - Jiahao Huang
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou,China
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang,China
- *Correspondence: Jiahao Huang,
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26
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Wei Z, Zhou Y, Wang R, Wang J, Chen Z. Aptamers as Smart Ligands for Targeted Drug Delivery in Cancer Therapy. Pharmaceutics 2022; 14:pharmaceutics14122561. [PMID: 36559056 PMCID: PMC9781707 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14122561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Revised: 11/14/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Undesirable side effects and multidrug tolerance are the main holdbacks to the treatment of cancer in conventional chemotherapy. Fortunately, targeted drug delivery can improve the enrichment of drugs at the target site and reduce toxicity to normal tissues and cells. A targeted drug delivery system is usually composed of a nanocarrier and a targeting component. The targeting component is called a "ligand". Aptamers have high target affinity and specificity, which are identified as attractive and promising ligands. Therefore, aptamers have potential application in the development of smart targeting systems. For instance, aptamers are able to efficiently recognize tumor markers such as nucleolin, mucin, and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). Besides, aptamers can also identify glycoproteins on the surface of tumor cells. Thus, the aptamer-mediated targeted drug delivery system has received extensive attention in the application of cancer therapy. This article reviews the application of aptamers as smart ligands for targeted drug delivery in cancer therapy. Special interest is focused on aptamers as smart ligands, aptamer-conjugated nanocarriers, aptamer targeting strategy for tumor microenvironment (TME), and aptamers that are specified to crucial cancer biomarkers for targeted drug delivery.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Jin Wang
- Correspondence: (J.W.); (Z.C.); Tel.: +86-18616-819-730 (J.W.); +86-13767-154-425 (Z.C.)
| | - Zhenhua Chen
- Correspondence: (J.W.); (Z.C.); Tel.: +86-18616-819-730 (J.W.); +86-13767-154-425 (Z.C.)
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27
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Morales RTT, Ko J. Future of Digital Assays to Resolve Clinical Heterogeneity of Single Extracellular Vesicles. ACS NANO 2022; 16:11619-11645. [PMID: 35904433 PMCID: PMC10174080 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.2c04337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are complex lipid membrane vehicles with variable expressions of molecular cargo, composed of diverse subpopulations that participate in the intercellular signaling of biological responses in disease. EV-based liquid biopsies demonstrate invaluable clinical potential for overhauling current practices of disease management. Yet, EV heterogeneity is a major needle-in-a-haystack challenge to translate their use into clinical practice. In this review, existing digital assays will be discussed to analyze EVs at a single vesicle resolution, and future opportunities to optimize the throughput, multiplexing, and sensitivity of current digital EV assays will be highlighted. Furthermore, this review will outline the challenges and opportunities that impact the clinical translation of single EV technologies for disease diagnostics and treatment monitoring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renee-Tyler T Morales
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Jina Ko
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
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