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Mili M, Bachu V, Kuri PR, Singh NK, Goswami P. Improving synthesis and binding affinities of nucleic acid aptamers and their therapeutics and diagnostic applications. Biophys Chem 2024; 309:107218. [PMID: 38547671 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpc.2024.107218] [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: 11/21/2023] [Revised: 02/21/2024] [Accepted: 03/17/2024] [Indexed: 04/22/2024]
Abstract
Nucleic acid aptamers have captivated the attention of analytical and medicinal scientists globally due to their several advantages as recognition molecules over conventional antibodies because of their small size, simple and inexpensive synthesis, broad target range, and high stability in varied environmental conditions. These recognition molecules can be chemically modified to make them resistant to nuclease action in blood serum, reduce rapid renel clearance, improve the target affinity and selectivity, and make them amenable to chemically conjugate with a support system that facilitates their selective applications. This review focuses on the development of efficient aptamer candidates and their application in clinical diagnosis and therapeutic applications. Significant advances have been made in aptamer-based diagnosis of infectious and non-infectious diseases. Collaterally, the progress made in therapeutic applications of aptamers is encouraging, as evident from their use in diagnosing cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, microbial infection, and in imaging. This review also updates the progress on clinical trials of many aptamer-based products of commercial interests. The key development and critical issues on the subject have been summarized in the concluding remarks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malaya Mili
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, IIT Guwahati, 781039, Assam, India
| | - Vinay Bachu
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, IIT Guwahati, 781039, Assam, India
| | - Pooja Rani Kuri
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, IIT Guwahati, 781039, Assam, India
| | | | - Pranab Goswami
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, IIT Guwahati, 781039, Assam, India.
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Doherty C, Wilbanks B, Khatua S, Maher LJ. Aptamers in neuro-oncology: An emerging therapeutic modality. Neuro Oncol 2024; 26:38-54. [PMID: 37619244 PMCID: PMC10768989 DOI: 10.1093/neuonc/noad156] [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: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite recent advances in the understanding of brain tumor pathophysiology, challenges associated with tumor location and characteristics have prevented significant improvement in neuro-oncology therapies. Aptamers are short, single-stranded DNA or RNA oligonucleotides that fold into sequence-specific, 3-dimensional shapes that, like protein antibodies, interact with targeted ligands with high affinity and specificity. Aptamer technology has recently been applied to neuro-oncology as a potential approach to innovative therapy. Preclinical research has demonstrated the ability of aptamers to overcome some obstacles that have traditionally rendered neuro-oncology therapies ineffective. Potential aptamer advantages include their small size, ability in some cases to penetrate the blood-brain barrier, inherent lack of immunogenicity, and applicability for discovering novel biomarkers. Herein, we review recent reports of aptamer applications in neuro-oncology including aptamers found by cell- and in vivo- Systematic Evolution of Ligands by Exponential Enrichment approaches, aptamer-targeted therapeutic delivery modalities, and aptamers in diagnostics and imaging. We further identify crucial future directions for the field that will be important to advance aptamer-based drugs or tools to clinical application in neuro-oncology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Doherty
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Brandon Wilbanks
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Track, Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Soumen Khatua
- Department of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Section of Neuro-Oncology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Louis James Maher
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
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Philippou S, Mastroyiannopoulos NP, Tomazou M, Oulas A, Ackers-Johnson M, Foo RS, Spyrou GM, Phylactou LA. Selective Delivery to Cardiac Muscle Cells Using Cell-Specific Aptamers. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2023; 16:1264. [PMID: 37765072 PMCID: PMC10534653 DOI: 10.3390/ph16091264] [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: 07/25/2023] [Revised: 08/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
In vivo SELEX is an advanced adaptation of Systematic Evolution of Ligands by Exponential Enrichment (SELEX) that allows the development of aptamers capable of recognizing targets directly within their natural microenvironment. While this methodology ensures a higher translation potential for the selected aptamer, it does not select for aptamers that recognize specific cell types within a tissue. Such aptamers could potentially improve the development of drugs for several diseases, including neuromuscular disorders, by targeting solely the proteins involved in their pathogenesis. Here, we describe our attempt to utilize in vivo SELEX with a modification in the methodology that drives the selection of intravenously injected aptamers towards a specific cell type of interest. Our data suggest that the incorporation of a cell enrichment step can direct the in vivo localization of RNA aptamers into cardiomyocytes, the cardiac muscle cells, more readily over other cardiac cells. Given the crucial role of cardiomyocytes in the disease pathology in DMD cardiomyopathy and therapy, these aptamers hold great potential as drug delivery vehicles with cardiomyocyte selectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Styliana Philippou
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Function & Therapy, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, Nicosia 2371, Cyprus
| | - Nikolaos P. Mastroyiannopoulos
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Function & Therapy, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, Nicosia 2371, Cyprus
| | - Marios Tomazou
- Department of Bioinformatics, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, Nicosia 2371, Cyprus
| | - Anastasios Oulas
- Department of Bioinformatics, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, Nicosia 2371, Cyprus
| | - Matthew Ackers-Johnson
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, Centre for Translational Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117599, Singapore
| | - Roger S. Foo
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, Centre for Translational Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117599, Singapore
| | - George M. Spyrou
- Department of Bioinformatics, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, Nicosia 2371, Cyprus
| | - Leonidas A. Phylactou
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Function & Therapy, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, Nicosia 2371, Cyprus
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Chiu WJ, Lin CS, Lin SR, Chen TH, Wu CJ, Busa P, Long H, Chen CC, Tseng FJ, Fu YS, Weng CF. Diterpene promptly executes a non-canonical autophagic cell death in doxorubicin-resistant lung cancer. Biomed Pharmacother 2022; 153:113443. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2022.113443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Revised: 07/12/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
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Rotoli D, Santana-Viera L, Ibba ML, Esposito CL, Catuogno S. Advances in Oligonucleotide Aptamers for NSCLC Targeting. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21176075. [PMID: 32842557 PMCID: PMC7504093 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21176075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2020] [Revised: 08/20/2020] [Accepted: 08/22/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most common type of lung cancer worldwide, with the highest incidence in developed countries. NSCLC patients often face resistance to currently available therapies, accounting for frequent relapses and poor prognosis. Indeed, despite great recent advancements in the field of NSCLC diagnosis and multimodal therapy, most patients are diagnosed at advanced metastatic stage, with a very low overall survival. Thus, the identification of new effective diagnostic and therapeutic options for NSCLC patients is a crucial challenge in oncology. A promising class of targeting molecules is represented by nucleic-acid aptamers, short single-stranded oligonucleotides that upon folding in particular three dimensional (3D) structures, serve as high affinity ligands towards disease-associated proteins. They are produced in vitro by SELEX (systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment), a combinatorial chemistry procedure, representing an important tool for novel targetable biomarker discovery of both diagnostic and therapeutic interest. Aptamer-based approaches are promising options for NSCLC early diagnosis and targeted therapy and may overcome the key obstacles of currently used therapeutic modalities, such as the high toxicity and patients’ resistance. In this review, we highlight the most important applications of SELEX technology and aptamers for NSCLC handling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deborah Rotoli
- Institute Experimental Endocrinology and Oncology “Gaetano Salvatore” (IEOS), National Research Council (CNR), 80145 Naples, Italy; (D.R.); (L.S.-V.)
| | - Laura Santana-Viera
- Institute Experimental Endocrinology and Oncology “Gaetano Salvatore” (IEOS), National Research Council (CNR), 80145 Naples, Italy; (D.R.); (L.S.-V.)
| | - Maria L. Ibba
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnology, “Federico II” University of Naples, 80131 Naples, Italy;
| | - Carla L. Esposito
- Institute Experimental Endocrinology and Oncology “Gaetano Salvatore” (IEOS), National Research Council (CNR), 80145 Naples, Italy; (D.R.); (L.S.-V.)
- Correspondence: (C.L.E.); (S.C.); Tel.: +39-081-3722343 (C.L.E. & S.C.)
| | - Silvia Catuogno
- Institute Experimental Endocrinology and Oncology “Gaetano Salvatore” (IEOS), National Research Council (CNR), 80145 Naples, Italy; (D.R.); (L.S.-V.)
- Correspondence: (C.L.E.); (S.C.); Tel.: +39-081-3722343 (C.L.E. & S.C.)
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Kumar Kulabhusan P, Hussain B, Yüce M. Current Perspectives on Aptamers as Diagnostic Tools and Therapeutic Agents. Pharmaceutics 2020; 12:E646. [PMID: 32659966 PMCID: PMC7407196 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics12070646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2020] [Revised: 07/05/2020] [Accepted: 07/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Aptamers are synthetic single-stranded DNA or RNA sequences selected from combinatorial oligonucleotide libraries through the well-known in vitro selection and iteration process, SELEX. The last three decades have witnessed a sudden boom in aptamer research, owing to their unique characteristics, like high specificity and binding affinity, low immunogenicity and toxicity, and ease in synthesis with negligible batch-to-batch variation. Aptamers can specifically bind to the targets ranging from small molecules to complex structures, making them suitable for a myriad of diagnostic and therapeutic applications. In analytical scenarios, aptamers are used as molecular probes instead of antibodies. They have the potential in the detection of biomarkers, microorganisms, viral agents, environmental pollutants, or pathogens. For therapeutic purposes, aptamers can be further engineered with chemical stabilization and modification techniques, thus expanding their serum half-life and shelf life. A vast number of antagonistic aptamers or aptamer-based conjugates have been discovered so far through the in vitro selection procedure. However, the aptamers face several challenges for its successful clinical translation, and only particular aptamers have reached the marketplace so far. Aptamer research is still in a growing stage, and a deeper understanding of nucleic acid chemistry, target interaction, tissue distribution, and pharmacokinetics is required. In this review, we discussed aptamers in the current diagnostics and theranostics applications, while addressing the challenges associated with them. The report also sheds light on the implementation of aptamer conjugates for diagnostic purposes and, finally, the therapeutic aptamers under clinical investigation, challenges therein, and their future directions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Babar Hussain
- Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Central Punjab, Lahore 54000, Pakistan;
| | - Meral Yüce
- SUNUM Nanotechnology Research and Application Centre, Sabanci University, Istanbul 34956, Turkey
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Aptamers Against Live Targets: Is In Vivo SELEX Finally Coming to the Edge? MOLECULAR THERAPY. NUCLEIC ACIDS 2020; 21:192-204. [PMID: 32585627 PMCID: PMC7321788 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtn.2020.05.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2020] [Revised: 04/18/2020] [Accepted: 05/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Targeted therapeutics underwent a revolution with the entry of monoclonal antibodies in the medical toolkit. Oligonucleotide aptamers form another family of target agents that have been lagging behind in reaching the clinical arena in spite of their potential clinical translation. Some of the reasons for this might be related to the challenge in identifying aptamers with optimal in vivo specificity, and the nature of their pharmacokinetics. Aptamers usually show exquisite specificity, but they are also molecules that display dynamic structures subject to changing environments. Temperature, ion atmosphere, pH, and other variables are factors that could determine the affinity and specificity of aptamers. Thus, it is important to tune the aptamer selection process to the conditions in which you want your final aptamer to function; ideally, for in vivo applications, aptamers should be selected in an in vivo-like system or, ultimately, in a whole in vivo organism. In this review we recapitulate the implementations in systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX) to obtain aptamers with the best in vivo activity.
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Díaz-Fernández A, Lorenzo-Gómez R, Miranda-Castro R, de-Los-Santos-Álvarez N, Lobo-Castañón MJ. Electrochemical aptasensors for cancer diagnosis in biological fluids - A review. Anal Chim Acta 2020; 1124:1-19. [PMID: 32534661 DOI: 10.1016/j.aca.2020.04.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2020] [Revised: 04/08/2020] [Accepted: 04/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The tunability of SELEX procedure is an essential feature to supply bioaffinity receptors (aptamers) almost on demand for analytical and therapeutic purposes. This longstanding ambition is, however, not straightforward. Non-invasive cancer diagnosis, so called liquid biopsy, requires collection of body fluids with minimal or no sample pretreatment. In those raw matrices, aptamers must recognize minute amounts of biomarkers that are not unique entities but large sets of variants evolving with the disease stage. The susceptibility of aptasensors to assay conditions has driven the selection of aptamers to natural environments to ensure their optimum performance in clinical samples. We present herein a compilation of the SELEX procedures in natural milieus. By revising the electrochemical aptasensors applied to clinical samples for cancer diagnosis and tracing back to the original SELEX we analyze whether aptamers raised using these SELEX strategies are being incorporated to the diagnostic devices and how aptasensors are finding their way to a market dominated by antibody-based assays.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Díaz-Fernández
- Dpto. Química Física y Analítica, Universidad de Oviedo, Av. Julián Clavería 8, 33006, Oviedo, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias, Avenida de Roma, 33011, Oviedo, Spain.
| | - Ramón Lorenzo-Gómez
- Dpto. Química Física y Analítica, Universidad de Oviedo, Av. Julián Clavería 8, 33006, Oviedo, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias, Avenida de Roma, 33011, Oviedo, Spain.
| | - Rebeca Miranda-Castro
- Dpto. Química Física y Analítica, Universidad de Oviedo, Av. Julián Clavería 8, 33006, Oviedo, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias, Avenida de Roma, 33011, Oviedo, Spain.
| | - Noemí de-Los-Santos-Álvarez
- Dpto. Química Física y Analítica, Universidad de Oviedo, Av. Julián Clavería 8, 33006, Oviedo, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias, Avenida de Roma, 33011, Oviedo, Spain.
| | - María Jesús Lobo-Castañón
- Dpto. Química Física y Analítica, Universidad de Oviedo, Av. Julián Clavería 8, 33006, Oviedo, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias, Avenida de Roma, 33011, Oviedo, Spain.
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