The development of novel aptamers unlocks opportunities for the treatment of cancers and neurological diseases

Description

G-quadruplexes (G4), which are special structures in DNA and RNA that play a crucial role in cells, have been associated with cancers and neurological diseases. A research team from City University of Hong Kong (CityU) recently built a new platform to select L-RNA aptamers that can target functional G4 structures. They found an L-RNA aptamer called L-Apt12-6 that binds specifically to a specific topology of G4 structure: parallel G4. The findings may be beneficial for developing new drugs and treatments for G4-related diseases, like cancers.