Introduction of Inflammation
Inflammation is a defense mechanism that the body’s immune system response to injury or illness. It plays an important role in the pathological process of almost all diseases. Inflammation can be divided into two different types: acute or chronic. Acute inflammation starts quickly and generally disappears within hours or days. It is characterized by the rapid accumulation of immune cells at the site of injury or illness. Common symptoms include redness, swelling, warmth, pain, and stiffness. Chronic inflammation can last months or years as a result of failure to remove the trigger. Although inflammation is beneficial for wound healing, longer-lasting inflammation may harm the body. For example, chronic inflammation can eventually lead to several diseases and conditions such as cancers, rheumatoid arthritis, atherosclerosis, periodontitis, and hay fever.
Aptamer-based Inflammation Therapy
Inflammation disorders are caused by continuous inflammation in injured or disease sites. The inflammation response is regulated and mediated by many pro-inflammatory cytokines and anti-inflammatory cytokines. Aptamers are an emerging class of anti-inflammation agents, which could replace other medications even antibodies, due to many advantages including high specificity and affinity, biological efficacy, and pharmacokinetic properties. Aptamers can bind to pro-inflammatory cytokines or their related receptors and inhibit their functions, thereby exerting an anti-inflammation effect. The cytokines including IL-2, IL-6, IL-32, TGF-β, IL-10, IL-11, IL-17, TNF-α, IFN-γ, CCL2, and IP-10, have been used as targets for the development of anti-inflammation aptamer in recent studies.
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IFN-γ
IFN-γ is secreted by CD4+ T-helper 1 (Th1) cells and activated natural killer (NK) cells. It plays a role in activating lymphocytes. It also plays a role in pro-inflammatory response by binding to its receptors and activating JAK/STAT signaling pathway. In 1994, aptamers targeting IFN-γ was firstly reported to inhibit the antiviral activity of IFN-γ. Furthermore, other oligonucleotide aptamers targeting IFN-γ were subsequently developed to block the IFN-γ binding to its corresponding receptor and suppress the IFN-γ signal pathway.
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IL-17
IL-17 cytokine family is known to have a potent pro-inflammatory effect. The binding of IL-17 to their corresponding receptors can activate NF-κB, MAPK, and C/EBP signaling pathways, inducing inflammation. Besides, IL-17 cytokines also induce the release of TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 to trigger inflammation. Aptamers against IL-17 cytokines have been introduced in some researches. For example, Apt21-2 is a 30-mer RNA aptamer against IL-17A, which can bind to IL-17A and suppress the secretion of IL-6 by inhibiting phosphorylation of IκB and JNK signaling factors.
Aptamer Development Services at Creative Biolabs
Creative Biolabs has organized a team of scientists with extensive experience in the study of the aptamer to offer you one-stop aptamer development services from experiment design to reliable product delivery. Our service package includes SELEX-based aptamer selection, aptamer modifications, aptamer characterization, aptamer analysis, aptamer synthesis, and aptamer conjugation. We are devoted to becoming your reliable partner for aptamer projects. Please contact us to discuss your project and achieve professional guidance.
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Questions & Answer
A: Aptamers can be used as therapeutic agents to modulate inflammation in various ways. They can directly inhibit the activity of inflammatory mediators, such as cytokines or chemokines, by binding to them and preventing their interaction with receptors. Aptamers can also target specific cell surface receptors involved in inflammation, thereby interfering with signaling pathways or inducing cellular responses that promote resolution of inflammation.
A: Yes, aptamers can be designed to specifically target cells involved in inflammation. By selecting aptamers against cell surface markers or receptors expressed on inflammatory cells, such as immune cells or endothelial cells, it is possible to selectively bind to and modulate the activity of these cells. Targeting specific cells with aptamers can help regulate their function, disrupt inflammatory signaling pathways, or promote anti-inflammatory responses.
A: Yes, there are examples of aptamers being tested in clinical trials for inflammation-related diseases. For instance, an aptamer called Pegaptanib (Macugen®) has been approved by the FDA for the treatment of neovascular (wet) age-related macular degeneration (AMD), which involves inflammation and abnormal blood vessel growth in the eye. Pegaptanib specifically targets and inhibits vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), a key mediator of neovascularization and inflammation in AMD. This demonstrates the clinical potential of aptamers as therapeutic agents in inflammation-related conditions.
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