biostudies-literatureOpazo FEuropean Research Councile251https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC4877450biostudies-literatureUnknown4Aptamers are valuable tools that provide great potential to develop cost-effective diagnostics and therapies in the biomedical field. Here, we report a novel DNA aptamer that folds into an unconventional G-quadruplex structure able to recognize and enter specifically into human Burkitt's lymphoma cells. We further optimized this aptamer to a highly versatile and stable minimized version. The minimized aptamer can be easily equipped with different functionalities like quantum dots, organic dyes, or even a second different aptamer domain yielding a bi-paratopic aptamer. Although the target molecule of the aptamer remains unknown, our microscopy and pharmacological studies revealed that the aptamer hijacks the clathrin-mediated endocytosis pathway for its cellular internalization. We concludeMolecular therapy. Nucleic acidsModular Assembly of Cell-targeting Devices Based on an Uncommon G-quadruplex Aptamer.PMC4877450268776Opazo FKjems JRohrbach FWengel JMayer GHansen LEiden LfalseModular Assembly of Cell-targeting Devices Based on an Uncommon G-quadruplex Aptamer.Aptamers are valuable tools that provide great potential to develop cost-effective diagnostics and therapies in the biomedical field. Here, we report a novel DNA aptamer that folds into an unconventional G-quadruplex structure able to recognize and enter specifically into human Burkitt's lymphoma cells. We further optimized this aptamer to a highly versatile and stable minimized version. The minimized aptamer can be easily equipped with different functionalities like quantum dots, organic dyes, or even a second different aptamer domain yielding a bi-paratopic aptamer. Although the target molecule of the aptamer remains unknown, our microscopy and pharmacological studies revealed that the aptamer hijacks the clathrin-mediated endocytosis pathway for its cellular internalization. We conclude2015-01-01T00:00:00Z2015 Sep2025-04-19T14:48:01.048Z2019-03-27T02:14:22ZS-EPMC48774502632562810.1038/mtna.2015.25