Dementia Japan 26:325-333, 2012

Aptamers that bind to amyloidogenic proteins related to neurodegenerative diseases, and selection of DNA aptamers that specifically bind to amyloid oligomers

Kaori Tsukakoshi, Koichi Abe, Koji Sode, Kazunori Ikebukuro

Department of biotechnology and life science, Graduate School of Engineering, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology

    Aptamers are nucleic acid ligands that can specifically bind to varied targets such as small compounds, proteins and cells.  In this paper, we reviewed aptamers that bind to amyloidogenic proteins that cause neurodegenerative diseases such as Prion disease, Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease.  We also show amyloid oligomer-binding DNA aptamers that specifically bind to not only α-syn oligomers but also Aβ oligomers.  Aptamers might provide new approaches in research investigations on neurodegenerative diseases.

Address correspondence to Dr. Kazunori Ikebukuro, Department of biotechnology and life science, Graduate School of Engineering, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology (2-24-16 Naka-cho, Koganei-shi, Tokyo 184-8588, Japan)