Potential applications of aptamers in veterinary science

Abstract

Aptamers are small nucleic acids that fold in a three-dimensional conformation allowing them to bind specifically to a target. This target can be an organic molecule, free or carried in cells or tissues, or inorganic components, such as metal ions. Analogous to monoclonal antibodies, aptamers however have certain advantages over the latter: e.g., high specificity for their target, no to low immunogenicity and easy in vitro selection. Since their discovery more than 30 years ago, aptamers have led to various applications, although mainly restricted to basic research. This work reviews the applications of aptamers in veterinary science to date. First, we present aptamers, how they are selected and their properties, then we give examples of applications in food and environmental safety, as well as in diagnosis and medical treatment in the field of veterinary medicine. Because examples of applications in veterinary medicine are scarce, we explore the potential avenues for future applications based on discoveries made in human medicine. Aptamers may offer new possibilities for veterinarians to diagnose certain diseases—particularly infectious diseases—more rapidly or “at the patient’s bedside”. All the examples highlight the growing interest in aptamers and the premises of a potential market. Aptamers may benefit animals as well as their owners, breeders and even public health in a “One Health” approach.

Aptamers: A prospective tool for infectious diseases diagnosis

“…Parasitic diseases are still serious threats to human life and health, especially in underdeveloped countries and regions, there is an urgent need to study and explore new methods of diagnosis. In recent years, research reports have screened various aptamers that can specifically recognize schistosome eggs, 135 , 136 Leishmania in sandflies, 137 , 138 Plasmodium in blood, 139 , 140 , 141 and Plasmodium‐infected red blood cells. 142 , 143 They provide new avenues for the development of novel human parasite detection and control methods.…”

Aptamer selection against cell extracts containing the zoonotic obligate intracellular bacterium, Anaplasma phagocytophilum

“…Aptamers have been selected against a wide variety of targets, including small compounds, proteins and even viruses, prokaryotic or eukaryotic cells. Since their discovery, there has been growing interest in their use for diagnosis, treatment and bioimaging, in particular in the field of infectious diseases in human/veterinary medicine 22 . Certain aptamers have been developed to control tick-borne diseases.…”

Structural Insights into Protein–Aptamer Recognitions Emerged from Experimental and Computational Studies

“…The many distinctive properties of aptamers compared to protein-based therapeutics, which include the possibility of setting flexible designs, their rather straightforward production, and the opportunity to easily modify them, have generated a remarkable enthusiasm for their potential to become effective biomarkers or drugs [7,24]. Although many aptamers have become tools of extreme importance in basic science [22,[25][26][27][28][29][30][31], for many years only a single aptamer-based drug was in the marketplace, i.e., pegaptanib sodium (Macugen by Pfizer/Eyetech) that was approved in 2004 by the FDA for macular degeneration [32]. Very recently, the FDA approved a second RNA aptamer, i.e., avacincaptad pegol (Izervay by Iveric Bio/Astellas) for geographic atrophy secondary to age-related macular degeneration [33].…”