Modified nucleic acid aptamers: development, characterization, and biological applications

Danyang Ji; Hengxin Feng; Shiau Wei Liew; Chun Kit Kwok

doi:10.1016/j.tibtech.2023.05.005

Modified nucleic acid aptamers: development, characterization, and biological applications

Trends Biotechnol. 2023 Nov;41(11):1360-1384. doi: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2023.05.005. Epub 2023 Jun 10.

Authors

Danyang Ji¹, Hengxin Feng¹, Shiau Wei Liew¹, Chun Kit Kwok²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Chemistry and State Key Laboratory of Marine Pollution, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong, SAR, China.
² Department of Chemistry and State Key Laboratory of Marine Pollution, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong, SAR, China; Shenzhen Research Institute of City University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, China. Electronic address: ckkwok42@cityu.edu.hk.

PMID: 37302912
DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2023.05.005

Abstract

Aptamers are single-stranded oligonucleotides that bind to their targets via specific structural interactions. To improve the properties and performance of aptamers, modified nucleotides are incorporated during or after a selection process such as systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX). We summarize the latest modified nucleotides and strategies used in modified (mod)-SELEX and post-SELEX to develop modified aptamers, highlight the methods used to characterize aptamer-target interactions, and present recent progress in modified aptamers that recognize different targets. We discuss the challenges and perspectives in further advancing the methodologies and toolsets to accelerate the discovery of modified aptamers, improve the throughput of aptamer-target characterization, and expand the functional diversity and complexity of modified aptamers.

Keywords: aptamer; biological applications; mod-SELEX; modified nucleotide; nucleic acid; post-SELEX modification.

Publication types

Review