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Updated: Nov 26, 2025
A Flow Cytometry-Based Cell Surface Protein Binding Assay for Assessing Selectivity and Specificity of an Anticancer Aptamer
Published on: September 13, 2022
Antitumor Activity of Lipid-DNA Aptamer Modified T Lymphocytes in Carcinoma
Abstract:
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a lethal disease with no current effective therapeutics. One of the main reasons for the low efficacy of PDAC immunotherapy is the limited CD8+ T cell infiltration, without neo antigen present in PDAC. Aptamers represent single-stranded oligonucleotides which bind to specific targets with high specificity. We developed DNA conjugates and prepared diacyl phospholipid-aptamer XQ-2d which has potential for the targeted therapy and diagnosis of PDAC. In this study, flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy were employed to assess whether the Lipo-XQ-2d probe could anchor on activated T cells to constitute ligands specifically recognizing PDAC PL45 cells. Flow cytometry was employed to determine cytotoxicity in activated T cells. Results showed that the Lipo-XQ-2d probe could be inserted into T cells, and was specifically bound to both T cells and PL45 cells. In addition, the Lipo-XQ-2d probe redirected T cells to kill PL45 cells in vitro and was not toxic to cells. In conclusion, lipid-DNA-aptamer-modified T-lymphocytes might effectively kill PDAC in vitro, supporting the clinical application of T cell adoptive immunotherapy.
Insights
Researchers developed a novel lipid-DNA-aptamer probe (Lipo-XQ-2d) to enhance pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) immunotherapy by redirecting T cells to target and eliminate PDAC cells, showing promising in vitro results.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Immunology
- Biotechnology
Background:
- Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a deadly cancer with limited treatment options.
- Poor T cell infiltration and lack of neoantigens hinder PDAC immunotherapy efficacy.
- Aptamers offer specific molecular targeting capabilities.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and evaluate a novel DNA conjugate, diacyl phospholipid-aptamer XQ-2d (Lipo-XQ-2d), for targeted PDAC therapy.
- To assess the ability of Lipo-XQ-2d to facilitate T cell-mediated killing of PDAC cells.
Main Methods:
- Development of Lipo-XQ-2d, a lipid-DNA-aptamer conjugate.
- Utilizing flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy to analyze probe binding to T cells and PDAC cells.
- Assessing the cytotoxicity of T cells modified with the Lipo-XQ-2d probe against PDAC cells in vitro.
Main Results:
- The Lipo-XQ-2d probe successfully integrated into T cells.
- The probe demonstrated specific binding to both activated T cells and PDAC cells (PL45).
- Lipo-XQ-2d redirected T cells to effectively kill PDAC cells in vitro without causing toxicity.
Conclusions:
- Lipid-DNA-aptamer-modified T-lymphocytes show potential for effectively killing PDAC cells in vitro.
- This approach supports the potential clinical application of T cell adoptive immunotherapy for PDAC.
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