POST-SELEX COMBINATORIAL OPTIMIZATION OF APTAMERS

In vitro selection techniques provide a means of isolating nucleic aci d ligands for binding to particular protein targets. Although most apt amers have quite high affinities for their target proteins, it has bee n shown that post-SELEX modification can result in further enhancement of binding affinity, as well as other desired properties. This has le d to the current development of a more systematic approach to aptamer optimization using a combinatorial screening methodology. (C) 1997 Els evier Science Ltd.