Development of HBsAg-binding aptamers that bind HepG2.2.15 cells via HBV surface antigen.
Hepatitis B virus surface antigen (HBsAg), a specific antigen on the membrane of Hepatitis B virus (HBV)-infected cells, provides a perfect target for therapeutic drugs. The development of reagents with high affinity and specificity to the HBsAg is of great significance to the early-stage diagnosis and treatment of HBV infection. Herein, we report the selection of RNA aptamers that can specifically bind to HBsAg protein and HBsAg-positive hepatocytes. One high affinity aptamer, HBs-A22, was isolated from an initial 115 mer library of ~1.1 x 10¹⁵ random-sequence RNA molecules using the SELEX procedure. The selected aptamer HBs-A22 bound specifically to hepatoma cell line HepG2.2.15 that expresses HBsAg but did not bind to HBsAg-devoid HepG2 cells. This is the first reported RNA aptamer which could bind to a HBV specific antigen. This newly isolated aptamer could be modified to deliver imaging, diagnostic, and therapeutic agents targeted at HBV-infected cells.
Liu
Jia
J
Division of Clinical Immunology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China.
Yang
Yan
Y
Hu
Bin
B
Ma
Zhi-yong
ZY
Huang
Hong-ping
HP
Yu
Yuan
Y
Liu
Shen-pei
SP
Lu
Meng-ji
MJ
Yang
Dong-liang
DL
D052157:Aptamers, Nucleotide / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D002460:Cell Line; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000032:analysis*; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D011485:Protein Binding; D052156:SELEX Aptamer Technique; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
D052157:Aptamers, Nucleotide; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens