Cytological study on aptamer selection for bladder cancer through CELL-SELEX / 医学研究生学报

ABSTRACT

ObjectiveThe methods based on bladder cancer markers which could be applied to early diagnosis and postoperative recurrence monitoring of bladder cancer were current research hotspots. This study aims to screen aptamers that specifically recognize human bladder cancer cell lines (EJ, T24, BIU87) through cell-based systematic evolution of ligand by exponential enrichment (CELL-SELEX).MethodsFor CELL-SELEX screening, bladder cancer cell lines EJ, T24, and BIU87 were used as positive control cells. HCV 29 (human normal urothelial cell line), 293T (human embryonic kidney cell line), huh7 (human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line) were used as negative control cells. PCR upstream primers were labeled with FITC, downstream primer was labeled with Biotin. ssDNA fragments collected from each round were amplified by PCR, and the amplified product was then purified using a DNA purification Kit. The biotin-streptavidin magnetic separation methods were used to isolate the PCR product to obtain secondary FITC-ssDNA for the next CELL-SELEX round. The screening process was monitored by flow cytometry. ssDNA pool with the highest binding rates to bladder cancer cell lines(EJ, T24, and BIU87) was selected to PCR amplification, product purification, molecular cloning, and sequencing. According to the sequencing results, the secondary structure of the aptamer was pre-simulated by Dnaman software. Aptamer labeled with FITC was synthesized in vitro, flow cytometry was used to detect the binding rate of the aptamer to bladder cancer cell lins (EJ, T24 and BIU87).ResultsWith the advance of the CELL-SELEX process, the binding rate of FITC-ssDNA to bladder cancer cell lins (EJ, T24, and BIU87) increased gradually. By the 15th round, the binding rate of FITC-ssDNA to EJ cells reached the highest level. The apt1 had the highest enrichment among the 15th round ssDNA pool. By the 18th round, the binding rate of FITC-ssDNA to T24 or BIU87 cells reached the highest level. The apt2 and apt3 had the highest enrichment among the 18th round ssDNA pool. DNA structure prediction showed that the secondary structure of apt1, apt2, and apt3 was mainly stem-loop structure. Flow cytometry showed that the highest binding rate was FITC-apt1 to EJ cells, FITC-apt2 to T24 cells, and FITC-apt3 to BIU87 cells, respectively. There is no significant combination between these aptamers with the negative cells.ConclusionIn this study, three kinds of aptamers with high specificity for bladder cancer cell lines were successfully screened by CELL-SELEX. The apt1 can specifically recognize EJ cells, apt2 can specifically recognize T24 cells and apt3 can specifically recognize BIU87 cells, all of which provide experimental evidence for early diagnosis and targeted therapy technology research of bladder cancer.