14 Perspectives of Aptamers for Medical Applications
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Table 14.1
Comparison of aptamers versus antibodies
Characters
Merits
Demerits
Merits
Demerits
Synthesis ease
1. Established chemistry
2. Easy modification
3. Low cost
4. No batch-to-batch variation
N/A
1. Easy biology for immunity
acquirement
2. Minute chemical
consumption
1. High manufacturing costs
2. Only active and stable
under physiological
conditions
3. Super variations from
batch to batch
4 . Animal welfare issues
Product stability
1. Long shelf life
2. Stable in Room temperature
Nuclease degradation in body
fluid
Stable in human body
1. Short shelf life
2. Need refrigerator
Target applicability
1. Wide range(peptide, protein,
carbohydrates, small
molecules or metal ions,
bacteria, viruses, whole cells,
etc.)
2. Conjugate to biomaterial such
as nanoparticles,drug at either
precise or multiple locations
N/A
1. Various molecules
2. Stable binding with antigen
specifically
Conjugation with non-targets
can alter the affinity to the
targets
(continued)