Satoru Sekiya

In vitro selection of anti-mouse prion protein RNA aptamers

Since the in vitro selection method, which chooses nucleic acid molecules of demands from huge scale clot of randomized nucleic acid molecules, has been developed (Tuerk, et al., Science.; 249 (4968):505-10, 1990 etc.), various species of functional nucleic acid molecules have been developed. Notably, one of those molecules called “Aptamer” can specifically recognizes and binds to its target from small molecule such as amino acid to large molecules such as proteins or virus particles. As its property is almost same as antibody, aptamer has been applied in basic study of nucleic acid/protein interaction and clinical or diagnostic drugs. (Allen, et al., Virology, 209, 327–336, 1995 etc.)