Foot-and-mouth disease virus: DNA aptamer selection for the 3ABC protein.

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is a devastating livestock disease caused by foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV), a member of the Picornaviridae family. The 3ABC is a non-structural protein of FMDV, produced during viral replication and absent from inactivated FMD vaccines. Nucleic acid aptamers are DNA or RNA oligonucleotides capable of binding with high specificity and affinity to a molecular target.

Detection of bacterial infection by a technetium-99m-labeled peptidoglycan aptamer.

Nuclear medicine clinicians are still waiting for the optimal scintigraphic imaging agents capable of distinguishing between infection and inflammation, and between fungal and bacterial infections. Aptamers have several properties that make them suitable for molecular imaging. In the present study, a peptidoglycan aptamer (Antibac1) was labeled with Tc and evaluated by biodistribution studies and scintigraphic imaging in infection-bearing mice.

Scintigraphic imaging of Staphylococcus aureus infection using Tc radiolabeled aptamers.

Staphylococcus aureus is a specie of great medical importance associated with many infections as bacteremia and infective endocarditis as well as osteoarticular, skin and soft tissue, pleuropulmonary, and device related infections. Early identification of infectious foci is crucial for successful treatment. Scintigraphy could contribute to this purpose since specific radiotracers were available.

(1→3)-β-D-glucan aptamers labeled with technetium-99m: Biodistribution and imaging in experimental models of bacterial and fungal infection.

Introduction: Acid nucleic aptamers are RNA or DNA oligonucleotides capable of binding to a target molecule with high affinity and selectivity. These molecules are promising tools in nuclear medicine. Many aptamers have been used as targeting molecule of radiopharmaceuticals in preclinical studies.