Identification of an aptamer binding to human osteogenic-induced progenitor cells

The aim of this study was to generate a specific aptamer against human jaw periosteal cells (JPCs) for tissue engineering applications in oral and maxillofacial surgery. This aptamer should serve as a capture molecule to enrich or even purify osteogenic progenitor cells from JPCs or from adult stem cells of other sources. Using systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX), we generated the first aptamer to specifically bind to human osteogenically induced JPCs. We did not detect any binding of the aptamer to undifferentiated JPCs, adipogenically and chondrogenically induced JPCs, or to any other cell line tested. However, similar binding patterns of the identified aptamer 74 were detected with mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) derived from placental tissue and bone marrow. After cell sorting, we analyzed the expression of osteogenic marker genes in the aptamer 74-positive and aptamer 74-negative fractions and detected no significant differences. Additionally, the analysis of the mineralization capacity revealed a slight tendency for the aptamer positive fraction to have a higher osteogenic potential. In terms of proliferation, JPCs growing in aptamer-coated wells showed increased proliferation rates compared with the controls. Herein, we report the development of an innovative approach for tissue engineering applications. Further studies should be conducted to modify and improve the specificity of the generated aptamer.