Genetic Engineering Publications - GEG Tech top picks

Here, the scientists report the development of DNA aptamers that bind to the target molecules, with high affinity and specificity to the FokI. DNA aptamers were selected in six rounds of systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment. They find two aptamers which showed high binding affinity to FokI, resistance to nuclease activity itself and did not inhibit nuclease activity. These aptamers could be useful for genome editing applications such as controlled delivery of SSNs.

Here the author demonstrate specific and orthogonal two-color labeling of repetitive sequences in living human cells using this method. By attaching the MS2 or PP7 aptamers to different locations on the sgRNA, they found that extending the tetraloop and stem loop 2 of the sgRNA with MS2 or PP7 aptamers enhances the signal-to-background ratio of chromatin imaging.

In this study, a flexible aptamer-liposome-CRISPR/Cas9 chimera was designed to combine efficient delivery and increased flexibility. the chimera incorporated an RNA aptamer that specifically binds prostate cancer cells expressing the prostate-specific membrane antigen as a ligand. The approach described here provides a universal means of cell type–specific CRISPR/Cas9 delivery, which is a critical goal for the widespread therapeutic applicability of CRISPR/Cas9 or other nucleic acid drugs.

This article reports the application of RNA nanotechnology for specific and efficient delivery of anti-miRNA seed-targeting sequence to block the growth of prostate cancer in mouse models. Utilizing the thermodynamically ultra-stable three-way junction of the pRNA of phi29 DNA packaging motor, RNA nanoparticles were constructed by bottom-up self-assembly containing the anti-prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) RNA aptamer as a targeting ligand and anti-miR17 or anti-miR21 as therapeutic modules. The 16 nm RNase-resistant and thermodynamically stable RNA nanoparticles remained intact after systemic injection in mice and strongly bound to tumors with little or no accumulation in healthy organs 8 hours postinjection, and subsequently repressed tumor growth at low doses with high efficiency.