APTAMERS AS THERAPEUTIC AND DIAGNOSTIC REAGENTS - PROBLEMS AND PROSPECTS

Aptamers are nucleic acid molecules that bind specific ligands. Barrie rs to the application of aptamers as therapeutic and diagnostic reagen ts have been overcome in the past several years. In particular, aptame rs that bind biomedically relevant targets have proven to be efficacio us at modifying cellular metabolism. Such aptamers can be stabilized b y chemical modifications and potentially used in vivo. Researchers hav e begun to devise aptamer-based diagnostic assays that may rival more conventional immunoassays.