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.
Ulrich
H
H
Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Química, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brasil.
Alves
M J
MJ
Colli
W
W
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