Aptamers in HIV research diagnosis and therapy

Abstract

Aptamers are high affinity single-stranded nucleic acid or protein ligands which exhibit specificity and avidity comparable to, or exceeding that of antibodies and can be generated against most targets. The functionality of aptamers is based on their unique tertiary structure, complexity and their ability to attain unique binding pockets by folding. Aptamers are selected in vitro by a process called Systematic Evolution of Ligands by Exponential enrichment (SELEX). The Kd values for the selected aptamer are often in the picomolar to low nanomolar range. Stable and nontoxic aptamers could be selected for a wide range of ligands including small molecules to large proteins. Aptamers have shown tremendous potential and have found multipurpose application in the field of therapeutic, diagnostic, biosensor and bio-imaging. While their mechanism of action can be similar to that of monoclonal antibodies, aptamers provide additional advantages in terms of production cost, simpler regulatory approval and lower immunogenicity as they are synthesized chemically. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is the primary cause of acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), which causes significant morbidity and mortality with a significant consequent decrease in the quality of patient's lives. While cART has led to good viral control, people living with HIV now suffer from non-HIV comorbidities due to viral protein expression that cannot be controlled by cART. Hence pathophysiological mechanisms that govern these comorbidities with a focus on therapies that neutralize these HIV effects gained increased attention. Recent advances in HIV/AIDS research have identified several molecular targets and for the development of therapeutic and diagnostic using aptamers against HIV/AIDS. This review presents recent advances in aptamers technology for potential application in HIV diagnostics and therapeutics towards improving the quality of life of people living with HIV.

Nomogram prediction of surgical site infection of HIV-infected patients following orthopedic surgery: a retrospective study

“…The ESR level also affected the incidence of surgical site infections in orthopedic patients with HIV-positive patients. HIV patients have low or even reduced immunity and a higher risk of opportunistic infections [ 24 ]. More and more complex internal fixations were likely to cause infection of the incision, and the disturbance to the physiological function of the body is also large, which could active the inflammatory system [ 25 ].…”

Advances in detection of infectious agents by aptamer-based technologies

“…As highly effective antiretroviral therapy (HAART) cannot completely eradicate silent viruses, much attention has been paid to the early detection of HIV and the pathophysiologic mechanisms of controlling reactivation during or after HAART therapy. Several crucial viral proteins such as Gp120, Gag polyprotein, Rev and enzymes like reverse transcriptase (RT), integrase, and proteases have been considered to be the targets of detection [27]. A novel molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) electrochemiluminescence (MIP-ECL) sensor was developed for the detection of highly sensitive and selective HIV-1 genes using europium sulphide nanocrystalline (ESNC) as signal generation compounds [11].…”

Dimeric and Multimeric DNA Aptamers for Highly Effective Protein Recognition

“…In the context of antiviral therapy, several aptamers have been identified against key proteins of the viral lifecycle. These aptamers can inhibit virus binding and entry into the target cell or virus integration, thus resulting as potent and specific antiviral agents [ 36 , 40 , 65 , 66 , 67 ].…”

“…Notably, among the known anti-human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) aptamers, many of them proved to spontaneously form dimeric G4 structures in solutions, such as the aptamers 93del, T30177 and T30695 targeting HIV-1 integrase ( Figure 2 ) [ 36 , 65 ].…”