Nucleic acid and peptide aptamers: fundamentals and bioanalytical aspects.
In recent years new nucleic acid and protein-based combinatorial molecules have attracted the attention of researchers working in various areas of science, ranging from medicine to analytical chemistry. These molecules, called aptamers, have been proposed as alternatives to antibodies in many different applications. The aim of this Review is to illustrate the peculiarities of these combinatorial molecules which have initially been explored for their importance in molecular medicine, but have enormous potential in other biotechnological fields historically dominated by antibodies, such as bioassays. A description of these molecules is given, and the methods for their selection and production are also summarized. Moreover, critical aspects related to these molecules are discussed.
Dipartimento di Chimica Ugo Schiff, Università degli Studi di Firenze, Via della Lastruccia 3, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy. marco.mascini@unifi.it
Marco
M
Mascini
Ilaria
I
Palchetti
Sara
S
Tombelli
D052158:Aptamers, Peptide / Q000737:chemistry*; D001681:Biological Assay; D015374:Biosensing Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D009696:Nucleic Acids / Q000737:chemistry*
D052158:Aptamers, Peptide; D009696:Nucleic Acids