Abstract
Aptamers are single-stranded DNA or RNA sequences of 20–80 nucleotides that interact with different targets such as: proteins, ions, viruses, or toxins, through non-covalent interactions and their unique three-dimensional conformation. They are obtained in vitro by the systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX). Because of their ability of target recognition with high specificity and affinity, aptamers are usually compared to antibodies. However, they present many advantages that make them promising molecules for the development of new methods for the diagnosis and treatment of human diseases. In medical parasitology, aptamers also represent an attractive alternative for the implementation of new parasite detection methods, easy to apply in endemic regions. The aim of this study was to describe the current advances in the development of diagnostic tests based on aptamers in parasitology. For this, articles were selected following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, with specific inclusion and exclusion criteria. The 26 resulting articles deal with the use of aptamers for the detection of six important protozoa that affect human health. This systematic review clearly demonstrates the specificity, sensitivity and selectivity of aptamers and aptasensors, that certainly will soon become standard methods in medical parasitology.
Highlights
Aptamers were developed for the first time in 1990 by two different research groups [1,2]
Another advantage is related to the production time, which is relatively short for aptamers compared with the longer production period required for monoclonal antibodies; the synthesis of aptamers is less expensive, whereas the use of cells and animal models largely increases the cost of antibodies [8]
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Summary
Aptamers were developed for the first time in 1990 by two different research groups [1,2]. The dissociation constants of aptamers are usually in the nano/picomolar range, which is comparable to those reported for antibodies [7]. Due to their ability of recognizing specific targets, aptamers are often compared to antibodies. Aptamers are generated by chemical synthesis without batch-to-batch variation, ensuring the constant functionality of the molecules Another advantage is related to the production time, which is relatively short for aptamers (less than three months) compared with the longer production period required for monoclonal antibodies (approximately six months); the synthesis of aptamers is less expensive, whereas the use of cells and animal models largely increases the cost of antibodies [8]. Aptamers can be conjugated with biotin, digoxigenin, fluorescent markers, and others—without losing their target affinity and specificity—to be used in diagnostic techniques such as flow cytometry [11], biosensors [12,13,14], enzyme-linked aptamer-based apta-sorbent assay (ELASA) [15], and other multiple applications
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