title: A DNA aptamer with high affinity and specificity for molecular recognition and targeting therapy of gastric cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Aptamers have emerged as excellent molecular probes for cancer diagnosis and therapy. The aim of the current study was to determine the feasibility of using DNA aptamer cy-apt 20 developed by live cell-SELEX for detecting and targeting gastric cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  The specificity, sensitivity and biostability of cy-apt 20 in detecting gastric cancer were assessed by binding assay, cell fluorescence imaging, and in vivo tumor imaging in animal model in comparison with non-gastric cancers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Flow cytometric analysis showed that cy-apt 20 had higher than 78% of maximal binding rate to gastric cancer cells, much higher than that of non-gastric cancer cells. Cell fluorescence imaging and in vivo tumor imaging showed that the targeting recognition could be visualized by using minimal dose of fluorochrome labeled cy-apt 20. Meanwhile, strong fluorescence signals were detected and lasted for a period of time longer than 50 min in vitro and 240 min in vivo. The fluorescence intensities of gastric cancer were about seven folds in vitro and five folds of that of non-gastric cancers in vivo.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study demonstrated that cy-apt 20 was an excellent molecular probe with high specificity and sensitivity and a certain degree of biostability for molecular recognition and targeting therapy of gastric cancer.
authors.forename: Hong-Yong
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Nanjing Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, P, R, China. njmuyah@126.com.
authors.forename: Ai-Hua
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Xue-Song
authors.initials: XS
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Miao
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D052157:Aptamers, Nucleotide / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D057054:Molecular Imaging; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy; D052156:SELEX Aptamer Technique; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*; D023041:Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays
chemical_list: D052157:Aptamers, Nucleotide