RNA-Based Aptamer for the Diagnosis and Targeted Therapy of Glioblastoma

Abstract

Short nucleic acid segments called aptamers attach to particular target molecules and are becoming increasingly popular in cancer diagnosis and treatment. Glioblastoma is a cancer of the glial cells, and it can surround nerve endings in the brain. Integrin α5β1 receptors are present on the surface of these glial cells and are involved in cell communication with the extracellular matrix. Furthermore, the proliferation of cancer cells, cancer angiogenesis, cancer invasion, and metastasis are all significantly influenced by this receptor. In addition, due to their overexpression on cancer cells, they are considered biomarkers for glioblastoma and other cancers. Recently, aptamer H02 binding to these integrin receptors has been developed to distinguish glioblastoma cells from normal cells. We hypothesize that the specific binding of H02 aptamer to the glioblastoma should be due to the structural and electrostatic interactions between the receptor and the aptamer. In this work, we have studied RNA-based aptamers targeting the Integrin α5β1 receptor of glial cells. The three-dimensional arrangement of these aptamers and their connection via the Integrin α5β1 receptor have been predicted using computational techniques. The aptamer-protein docking was performed using HADDOCK software. Based on our docking simulations, the aptamers form strong interactions with the binding site of the β1 component of the receptor. This work will further assist in designing target-specific RNA-based aptamers to aid in the detection of glioblastoma tumor cells and develop novel therapeutic strategies against this disease.

Keywords: Glioblastoma, α5β1 receptors, HADDOCK software, Integrin.