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Tumor cell-specific split aptamers: target-driven and temperature-controlled self-assembly on the living cell surface
Jinlu Tang1, Hui Shi1, Xiaoxiao He1
1State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, College of Biology, Hunan University, Key Laboratory for Bio-Nanotechnology and Molecular Engineering of Hunan Province, Changsha, 410082, China. kmwang@hnu.edu.cn.
A novel aptamer probe changes shape when it binds to cell surface proteins, enabling tumor cell detection. This probe also allows for reversible cell capture and release using mild temperature changes.
Area of Science:
- Biotechnology
- Molecular Biology
- Chemical Biology
Background:
- Aptamers are short DNA or RNA sequences that can bind to specific targets.
- Split aptamers are composed of two or more fragments that assemble upon target binding.
- Fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) is a technique used to study molecular interactions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop an activatable split aptamer probe for tumor cell detection.
- To create a probe with target-induced shape change and thermosensitivity.
- To establish a reversible cell catch and release system.
Main Methods:
- Design and synthesis of an activatable split aptamer probe.
- Utilizing target-induced shape change for probe assembly.
- Employing FRET for tumor cell detection.
- Implementing mild temperature switching for cell catch/release.
Main Results:
- The split aptamer probe successfully assembled into a functional binding shape upon encountering target proteins.
- The probe demonstrated FRET-based detection of tumor cells.
- A reversible cell catch and release strategy was achieved by switching temperatures between 4°C and 37°C.
Conclusions:
- The developed activatable split aptamer probe offers a sensitive and specific method for tumor cell detection.
- The probe's thermosensitivity enables a novel reversible cell catch and release capability.
- This technology has potential applications in diagnostics and targeted therapies.
