Technology

Aptamer-related technologies represent a revolutionary advancement in the capacity to rapidly develop new classes of targeting ligands. Structurally distinct RNA and DNA oligonucleotides, aptamers mimic small, protein-binding molecules and exhibit high binding affinity and selectivity.

Although their molecular weight is relatively small-approximately one-tenth that of monoclonal antibodies-their complex tertiary folded structures create enough recognition surface area for tight interaction with target molecules.

Additionally, unlike antibodies, aptamers can be readily chemically synthesized and modified. Due to their flexibility of chemical modification, aptamers are conjugated to other chemical entities including chemotherapeutic agents, siRNA, nanoparticles, and solid phase surfaces for therapeutic and diagnostic applications. By cell-internalization SELEX we have generated an Aptamer specific for the tyrosine-kinase receptor EphA2, implicated in many processes crucial to malignant progression, such as migration, invasion, metastasis, proliferation, survival, and angiogenesis. We propose a radically innovative treatment for EphA2 expressing tumors based on multifunctional RNA-based molecules targeting the expression of a key target, a fusion protein in the case of translocation-associated sarcomas and the EphA2 tyrosine kinase receptor.