title: Nucleic acid aptamers for living cell analysis.
abstract: Cells as the building blocks of life determine the basic functions and properties of a living organism. Understanding the structure and components of a cell aids in the elucidation of its biological functions. Moreover, knowledge of the similarities and differences between diseased and healthy cells is essential to understanding pathological mechanisms, identifying diagnostic markers, and designing therapeutic molecules. However, monitoring the structures and activities of a living cell remains a challenging task in bioanalytical and life science research. To meet the requirements of this task, aptamers, as "chemical antibodies," have become increasingly powerful tools for cellular analysis. This article reviews recent advances in the development of nucleic acid aptamers in the areas of cell membrane analysis, cell detection and isolation, real-time monitoring of cell secretion, and intracellular delivery and analysis with living cell models. Limitations of aptamers and possible solutions are also discussed.
authors.affiliation: Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Bio-Sensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, College of Biology, Collaborative Innovation Center for Molecular Engineering and Theranostics, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, China.
authors.forename: Xiangling
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xiong
authors.forename: Yifan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lv
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Xiaobing
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Kemin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Weihong
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Tan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D052157:Aptamers, Nucleotide / Q000737:chemistry*; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000737:chemistry*; D002468:Cell Physiological Phenomena; D002469:Cell Separation; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D006801:Humans; D059010:Single-Cell Analysis / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D052157:Aptamers, Nucleotide
keywords: aptamer; cell detection and isolation; cell membrane analysis; real-time monitoring