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 affin...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 met library of -1.1 ×10^15 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.展开更多
基金National Mega Research Program of China(2008ZX10002-011)National Natural Science Foundation of China(30700701)National High Tech-nology Research and Development program of China(2006AA02Z128)
文摘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 met library of -1.1 ×10^15 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.
