Optimizing the screening process for inhibitory aptamers specific to folate receptor alpha on an integrated, shear force-controlling microfluidic system

Folate receptor alpha (FRα) has been regarded as a promising target for ovarian cancer (OvCa) therapy. This work focused on improving the identification of inhibitory aptamers that specifically target and block FRα. A new integrated microfluidic system (IMS) was designed to automate the entire syste...

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Main Authors: Yi-Cheng Tsai, Yang-Sheng Shao, Chih-Hung Wang, Keng-Fu Hsu, Gwo-Bin Lee
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2024-11-01
Series:Chemical Engineering Journal Advances
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S266682112400098X
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author Yi-Cheng Tsai
Yang-Sheng Shao
Chih-Hung Wang
Keng-Fu Hsu
Gwo-Bin Lee
author_facet Yi-Cheng Tsai
Yang-Sheng Shao
Chih-Hung Wang
Keng-Fu Hsu
Gwo-Bin Lee
author_sort Yi-Cheng Tsai
collection DOAJ
description Folate receptor alpha (FRα) has been regarded as a promising target for ovarian cancer (OvCa) therapy. This work focused on improving the identification of inhibitory aptamers that specifically target and block FRα. A new integrated microfluidic system (IMS) was designed to automate the entire systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX), precisely controlling the washing shear force from 62.7 nN to 451.7 nN that gradually washed away low-affinity aptamers, allowing high-affinity, high-specificity, single-stranded DNA aptamers to be screened within 15 h, which is significantly shorter than conventional process (weeks to months) while consuming 50 % less samples and reagents. Furthermore, screened aptamers significantly inhibited OvCa progression, achieving 20 % higher wound recovery in wound-healing tests when compared with an anti-cancer drug targeting FRα. In summary, precisely controlled shear force by IMS could optimize aptamers screening with high affinity/specificity towards FRα, which inhibited OvCa cell growth, suggesting their applicability as promising candidates for onco-therapy.
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publishDate 2024-11-01
publisher Elsevier
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series Chemical Engineering Journal Advances
spelling doaj-art-dc8f74eb360940f7ab286ee21e6c13b82025-08-20T02:30:34ZengElsevierChemical Engineering Journal Advances2666-82112024-11-012010068110.1016/j.ceja.2024.100681Optimizing the screening process for inhibitory aptamers specific to folate receptor alpha on an integrated, shear force-controlling microfluidic systemYi-Cheng Tsai0Yang-Sheng Shao1Chih-Hung Wang2Keng-Fu Hsu3Gwo-Bin Lee4Department of Power Mechanical Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, TaiwanDepartment of Power Mechanical Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, TaiwanDepartment of Power Mechanical Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, TaiwanDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, TaiwanDepartment of Power Mechanical Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan; Institute of Biomedical Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan; Corresponding author.Folate receptor alpha (FRα) has been regarded as a promising target for ovarian cancer (OvCa) therapy. This work focused on improving the identification of inhibitory aptamers that specifically target and block FRα. A new integrated microfluidic system (IMS) was designed to automate the entire systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX), precisely controlling the washing shear force from 62.7 nN to 451.7 nN that gradually washed away low-affinity aptamers, allowing high-affinity, high-specificity, single-stranded DNA aptamers to be screened within 15 h, which is significantly shorter than conventional process (weeks to months) while consuming 50 % less samples and reagents. Furthermore, screened aptamers significantly inhibited OvCa progression, achieving 20 % higher wound recovery in wound-healing tests when compared with an anti-cancer drug targeting FRα. In summary, precisely controlled shear force by IMS could optimize aptamers screening with high affinity/specificity towards FRα, which inhibited OvCa cell growth, suggesting their applicability as promising candidates for onco-therapy.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S266682112400098XSELEXInhibitory aptamersMicrofluidicsOvarian cancerShear force
spellingShingle Yi-Cheng Tsai
Yang-Sheng Shao
Chih-Hung Wang
Keng-Fu Hsu
Gwo-Bin Lee
Optimizing the screening process for inhibitory aptamers specific to folate receptor alpha on an integrated, shear force-controlling microfluidic system
Chemical Engineering Journal Advances
SELEX
Inhibitory aptamers
Microfluidics
Ovarian cancer
Shear force
title Optimizing the screening process for inhibitory aptamers specific to folate receptor alpha on an integrated, shear force-controlling microfluidic system
title_full Optimizing the screening process for inhibitory aptamers specific to folate receptor alpha on an integrated, shear force-controlling microfluidic system
title_fullStr Optimizing the screening process for inhibitory aptamers specific to folate receptor alpha on an integrated, shear force-controlling microfluidic system
title_full_unstemmed Optimizing the screening process for inhibitory aptamers specific to folate receptor alpha on an integrated, shear force-controlling microfluidic system
title_short Optimizing the screening process for inhibitory aptamers specific to folate receptor alpha on an integrated, shear force-controlling microfluidic system
title_sort optimizing the screening process for inhibitory aptamers specific to folate receptor alpha on an integrated shear force controlling microfluidic system
topic SELEX
Inhibitory aptamers
Microfluidics
Ovarian cancer
Shear force
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S266682112400098X
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AT chihhungwang optimizingthescreeningprocessforinhibitoryaptamersspecifictofolatereceptoralphaonanintegratedshearforcecontrollingmicrofluidicsystem
AT kengfuhsu optimizingthescreeningprocessforinhibitoryaptamersspecifictofolatereceptoralphaonanintegratedshearforcecontrollingmicrofluidicsystem
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