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      Artificially Expanded Genetic Information Systems for New Aptamer Technologies

      review-article
      1 , 2 , * , 1 , 2
      Biomedicines
      MDPI
      expanded alphabet, AEGIS, aptamers, in vitro selection

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          Abstract

          Directed evolution was first applied to diverse libraries of DNA and RNA molecules a quarter century ago in the hope of gaining technology that would allow the creation of receptors, ligands, and catalysts on demand. Despite isolated successes, the outputs of this technology have been somewhat disappointing, perhaps because the four building blocks of standard DNA and RNA have too little functionality to have versatile binding properties, and offer too little information density to fold unambiguously. This review covers the recent literature that seeks to create an improved platform to support laboratory Darwinism, one based on an artificially expanded genetic information system (AEGIS) that adds independently replicating nucleotide “letters” to the evolving “alphabet”.

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          Most cited references100

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          Systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment: RNA ligands to bacteriophage T4 DNA polymerase.

          L Gold, C Tuerk (1990)
          High-affinity nucleic acid ligands for a protein were isolated by a procedure that depends on alternate cycles of ligand selection from pools of variant sequences and amplification of the bound species. Multiple rounds exponentially enrich the population for the highest affinity species that can be clonally isolated and characterized. In particular one eight-base region of an RNA that interacts with the T4 DNA polymerase was chosen and randomized. Two different sequences were selected by this procedure from the calculated pool of 65,536 species. One is the wild-type sequence found in the bacteriophage mRNA; one is varied from wild type at four positions. The binding constants of these two RNA's to T4 DNA polymerase are equivalent. These protocols with minimal modification can yield high-affinity ligands for any protein that binds nucleic acids as part of its function; high-affinity ligands could conceivably be developed for any target molecule.
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            Aptamers as targeted therapeutics: current potential and challenges

            Nucleic acid aptamers offer several advantages over traditional antibodies, but their clinical translation has been delayed by several factors, including insufficient potency, lack of safety data and high production costs. Here, Zhou and Rossi provide an overview of aptamer generation, focusing on recent technological advances and clinical development, as well as challenges and lessons learned.
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              Aptamers: an emerging class of molecules that rival antibodies in diagnostics.

              Antibodies, the most popular class of molecules providing molecular recognition needs for a wide range of applications, have been around for more than three decades. As a result, antibodies have made substantial contributions toward the advancement of diagnostic assays and have become indispensable in most diagnostic tests that are used routinely in clinics today. The development of the systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX) process, however, made possible the isolation of oligonucleotide sequences with the capacity to recognize virtually any class of target molecules with high affinity and specificity. These oligonucleotide sequences, referred to as "aptamers", are beginning to emerge as a class of molecules that rival antibodies in both therapeutic and diagnostic applications. Aptamers are different from antibodies, yet they mimic properties of antibodies in a variety of diagnostic formats. The demand for diagnostic assays to assist in the management of existing and emerging diseases is increasing, and aptamers could potentially fulfill molecular recognition needs in those assays. Compared with the bellwether antibody technology, aptamer research is still in its infancy, but it is progressing at a fast pace. The potential of aptamers may be realized in the near future in the form of aptamer-based diagnostic products in the market. In such products, aptamers may play a key role either in conjunction with, or in place of, antibodies. It is also likely that existing diagnostic formats may change according to the need to better harness the unique properties of aptamers.
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                Author and article information

                Journal
                Biomedicines
                Biomedicines
                biomedicines
                Biomedicines
                MDPI
                2227-9059
                09 May 2018
                June 2018
                : 6
                : 2
                : 53
                Affiliations
                [1 ]Foundation for Applied Molecular Evolution, Alachua, FL 32615, USA; sbenner@ 123456ffame.org
                [2 ]Firebird Biomolecular Sciences, LLC, Alachua, FL 32615, USA
                Author notes
                [* ]Correspondence: ebiondi@ 123456ffame.org ; Tel.: +1-386-418-8085
                Article
                biomedicines-06-00053
                10.3390/biomedicines6020053
                6027400
                29747381
                80b39961-341f-4715-8a59-e1cd8a4267cf
                © 2018 by the authors.

                Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

                History
                : 10 April 2018
                : 06 May 2018
                Categories
                Review

                expanded alphabet,aegis,aptamers,in vitro selection
                expanded alphabet, aegis, aptamers, in vitro selection

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