RNA and DNA aptamers as potential tools to prevent cell adhesion in disease.
Recent research has shown that receptor-ligand interactions between surfaces of communicating cells are necessary prerequisites for cell proliferation, cell differentiation and immune defense. Cell-adhesion events have also been proposed for pathological conditions such as cancer growth, metastasis, and host-cell invasion by parasites such as Trypanosoma cruzi. RNA and DNA aptamers (aptus = Latin, fit) that have been selected from combinatorial nucleic acid libraries are capable of binding to cell-adhesion receptors leading to a halt in cellular processes induced by outside signals as a consequence of blockage of receptor-ligand interactions. We outline here a novel approach using RNA aptamers that bind to T. cruzi receptors and interrupt host-cell invasion in analogy to existing procedures of blocking selectin adhesion and function in vitro and in vivo.
Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Química, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brasil.
H
H
Ulrich
M J
MJ
Alves
W
W
Colli
D000818:Animals; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000502:physiology*; D002450:Cell Communication; D014355:Chagas Disease / Q000469:parasitology; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D006790:Host-Parasite Interactions; D006801:Humans; D016023:Integrins / Q000378:metabolism; D019041:L-Selectin / Q000032:analysis; D019007:P-Selectin / Q000032:analysis; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D012313:RNA / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi / Q000378:metabolism*
D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D016023:Integrins; D019007:P-Selectin; D015800:Protozoan Proteins; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; D019041:L-Selectin; D012313:RNA; D004247:DNA