Dual-Mode Aptamer AP1-F Achieves Molecular-Morphological Precision in Cancer Diagnostics via Membrane NCL Targeting.

ABSTRACT: Nucleic acid aptamers leverage defined tertiary structures for precise molecular recognition, positioning them as transformative biomedical tools. We engineered AP1-F, a G-quadruplex (G4)-structured aptamer that selectively binds membrane-anchored nucleolin (NCL) non-permeabilizing, overcoming a key limitation of conventional probes. Microscale thermophoresis confirmed nanomolar affinity to NCL. By means of rigorous optimization, AP1-F attained a greater than ten-fold fluorescence signal ratio between malignant and normal cells in co-cultures, exceeding the extensively researched AS1411. Dual-channel flow cytometry demonstrated over 98.78% specificity at single-cell resolution within heterogeneous cell populations, owing to AP1-F's unique membrane localization-unlike AS1411's intracellular

SUBMITTER: Yang Z 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12650828 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature