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Nucleic Acids

Nucleic Acids

Nucleic acids are the most important macromolecules for the continuity of life. They carry the cell's genetic blueprint and carry instructions for its functioning.
DNA and RNA
The two main types of nucleic acids are deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA). DNA is the genetic material in all living organisms, ranging from single-celled bacteria to multicellular mammals. It is in the nucleus of eukaryotes and in the organelles, chloroplasts, and mitochondria. In prokaryotes,...

Nucleic acids

Nucleic acids

Nucleic acids are the most important macromolecules for the continuity of life. They carry the cell's genetic blueprint and carry instructions for its functioning.
DNA and RNA
The two main types of nucleic acids are deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA). DNA is the genetic material in all living organisms, ranging from single-celled bacteria to multicellular mammals. It is in the nucleus of eukaryotes and in the organelles, chloroplasts, and mitochondria. In prokaryotes,...

Nucleic Acids

Nucleic Acids

Telomeres and Telomerase

Telomeres and Telomerase

In eukaryotic DNA replication, a single-stranded DNA fragment remains at the end of a chromosome after the removal of the final primer. This section of DNA cannot be replicated in the same manner as the rest of the strand because there is no 3’ end to which the newly synthesized DNA can attach. This non-replicated fragment results in gradual loss of the chromosomal DNA during each cell duplication. Additionally, it can induce a DNA damage response by enzymes that recognize single-stranded...

Telomeres and Telomerase

Telomeres and Telomerase

Nucleic Acid Structure

Nucleic Acid Structure

The pentose sugar in DNA is deoxyribose, while in RNA the pentose sugar is ribose. The difference between the sugars is the presence of the hydroxyl group on the ribose's second carbon and a hydrogen on the deoxyribose's second carbon. The phosphate residue attaches to the hydroxyl group of the 5′ carbon of one sugar and the hydroxyl group of the 3′ carbon of the sugar of the next nucleotide, which forms a 5′ to 3′ phosphodiester linkage.
DNA Structure
DNA...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 12, 2026

Kinetic Screening of Nuclease Activity using Nucleic Acid Probes

Kinetic Screening of Nuclease Activity using Nucleic Acid Probes

Published on: November 1, 2019

Cross-Platform Cancer Cell Identification Using Telomerase-Specific Spherical Nucleic Acids.

Zhengjie Liu^1,2, Jun Zhao¹, Ruilong Zhang³

¹CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, Institute of Intelligent Machines , Chinese Academy of Sciences , Hefei , Anhui 230031 , China.

|March 30, 2018

Summary

This study introduces SNA beacons (SNABs) for universal cancer cell detection by targeting telomerase activity, a hallmark of uncontrolled growth. SNAB technology enables detection across various platforms, improving cancer diagnosis and treatment monitoring.

Keywords:

cancer detection imaging molecular beacons spherical nucleic acids surgery navigation telomerase

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Last Updated: Feb 12, 2026

Kinetic Screening of Nuclease Activity using Nucleic Acid Probes

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Published on: November 1, 2019

A Polyaniline-based Sensor of Nucleic Acids

A Polyaniline-based Sensor of Nucleic Acids

Published on: November 1, 2016

Telomerase Activity in the Various Regions of Mouse Brain: Non-Radioactive Telomerase Repeat Amplification Protocol TRAP Assay

Telomerase Activity in the Various Regions of Mouse Brain: Non-Radioactive Telomerase Repeat Amplification Protocol TRAP Assay

Published on: September 2, 2014

Area of Science:

Biotechnology
Molecular Biology
Cancer Research

Background:

Distinguishing tumor cells from normal cells is crucial for cancer diagnosis and treatment.
Tumor cell heterogeneity and lack of universal biomarkers present significant challenges.
Existing methods like PCR are limited to cell lysates, restricting broader applications.

Purpose of the Study:

To develop a novel method for universal tumor cell detection.
To bypass tumor cell heterogeneity by targeting a common cancer hallmark: uncontrollable growth.
To create a versatile detection platform applicable across multiple imaging and assay formats.

Main Methods:

Combined spherical nucleic acids (SNAs) with engineered molecular beacons to create SNA beacons (SNABs).
Targeted telomerase activity, a key indicator of uncontrolled cell proliferation, as the molecular phenotype for detection.
Evaluated SNAB probe performance in solution-based assays, single-cell imaging, and in vivo solid tumor imaging.

Main Results:

SNAB technology successfully identified tumor cells from normal cells based on telomerase activity.
The cell-entry capability of SNAs allowed for detection across diverse platforms, including live cells and in vivo.
Demonstrated potential to overcome the limitations of tumor cell heterogeneity in cancer detection.

Conclusions:

SNAB technology offers a promising approach for universal cancer cell detection by targeting telomerase activity.
This method bypasses tumor-specific features, addressing the challenge of cancer heterogeneity.
SNABs have broad applicability in cancer diagnosis, treatment response assessment, and image-guided surgery.