Aptamer and its applications in neurodegenerative diseases

详细信息    查看全文

• 作者：Jing Qu ; Shuqing Yu ; Yuan Zheng ; Yan Zheng…
• 关键词：Aptamer ; Neurodegenerative diseases ; Alzheimer’s disease ; Parkinson’s disease ; Transmissible spongiform encephalopathy ; Huntington’s disease ; Multiple sclerosis
• 刊名：Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences
• 出版年：2017
• 出版时间：February 2017
• 年：2017
• 卷：74
• 期：4
• 页码：683-695
• 全文大小：
• 刊物类别：Biomedical and Life Sciences
• 刊物主题：Cell Biology; Biomedicine, general; Life Sciences, general; Biochemistry, general;
• 出版者：Springer International Publishing
• ISSN：1420-9071
• 卷排序：74

文摘

Aptamers are small single-stranded DNA or RNA oligonucleotide fragments or small peptides, which can bind to targets by high affinity and specificity. Because aptamers are specific, non-immunogenic and non-toxic, they are ideal materials for clinical applications. Neurodegenerative disorders are ravaging the lives of patients. Even though the mechanism of these diseases is still elusive, they are mainly characterized by the accumulation of misfolded proteins in the central nervous system. So it is essential to develop potential measures to slow down or prevent the onset of these diseases. With the advancements of the technologies, aptamers have opened up new areas in this research field. Aptamers could bind with these related target proteins to interrupt their accumulation, subsequently blocking or preventing the process of neurodegenerative diseases. This review presents recent advances in the aptamer generation and its merits and limitations, with emphasis on its applications in neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, transmissible spongiform encephalopathy, Huntington’s disease and multiple sclerosis.