Monitoring of breast cancer progression via aptamer-based detection of circulating tumor cells in clinical blood samples.

Breast cancer (BC) diagnostics lack noninvasive methods and procedures for screening and monitoring disease dynamics. Admitted CellSearch is used for fluid biopsy and capture of circulating tumor cells of only epithelial origin. Here we describe an RNA aptamer (MDA231) for detecting BC cells in clinical samples, including blood.

Development of DNA aptamers for visualization of glial brain tumors and detection of circulating tumor cells.

Here, we present DNA aptamers capable of specific binding to glial tumor cells , , and for visualization diagnostics of central nervous system tumors. We selected the aptamers binding specifically to the postoperative human glial primary tumors and not to the healthy brain cells and meningioma, using a modified process of systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment to cells; sequenced and analyzed ssDNA pools using bioinformatic tools and identified the best aptamers by their binding abilities; determined three-dimensional structures of lead aptamers (Gli-55 and Gli-233) with small-angle X-ray scattering and molecular modeling; isolated and identified molecular target proteins of the aptamers by mass spectrometry; the potential binding sites of Gli-233 to the target protein and the role of post-translational modifications were verified by molecular dynamics simulations. The anti-glioma aptamers Gli-233 and Gli-55 were used to detect circulating tumor cells in liquid biopsies.

Nucleic Acid Aptamers Increase the Anticancer Efficiency and Reduce the Toxicity of Cisplatin-Arabinogalactan Conjugates .

Cisplatin is an effective drug for treating various cancer types. However, it is highly toxic for both healthy and tumor cells. Therefore, there is a need to reduce its therapeutic dose and increase targeted bioavailability.

The role of SAXS and molecular simulations in 3D structure elucidation of a DNA aptamer against lung cancer.

Aptamers are short, single-stranded DNA or RNA oligonucleotide molecules that function as synthetic analogs of antibodies and bind to a target molecule with high specificity. Aptamer affinity entirely depends on its tertiary structure and charge distribution. Therefore, length and structure optimization are essential for increasing aptamer specificity and affinity.

Bioluminescent SNP genotyping technique: Development and application for detection of melanocortin 1 receptor gene polymorphisms.

SNP genotyping based on the reaction of specific primer extension with the following bioluminescent detection of its products was shown to be potentially applicable for biomedical exploration. The paper describes its elaboration and first application in extensive biomedical research concerning MC1R gene variants' frequency and associations with clinical characteristics in melanoma patients of Eastern Siberia (Krasnoyarsk region, Russia). Polymorphisms rs 1805007 (R151C), rs 1805008 (R160W), and rs 1805009 (D294H) were detected in 174 DNA samples from patients with histologically proved diagnosis of cutaneous melanoma and in 200 samples from healthy individuals.

Current and Prospective Protein Biomarkers of Lung Cancer.

Lung cancer is a malignant lung tumor with various histological variants that arise from different cell types, such as bronchial epithelium, bronchioles, alveoli, or bronchial mucous glands. The clinical course and treatment efficacy of lung cancer depends on the histological variant of the tumor. Therefore, accurate identification of the histological type of cancer and respective protein biomarkers is crucial for adequate therapy.

DNA Aptamers for the Characterization of Histological Structure of Lung Adenocarcinoma.

Nucleic acid aptamers are becoming popular as molecular probes for identification and imaging pathology and, at the same time, as a convenient platform for targeted therapy. Recent studies have shown that aptamers may be effectively used for tumor characterization and as commercially available monoclonal antibodies. Here we present three DNA aptamers binding to whole transformed lung cancer tissues, including tumor cells, connective tissues, and blood vessels.