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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