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Vidhya Ramaswamy. 1 Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
Adam Monsalve. 1 Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
Larysa Sautina. 2 Division of Nephrology, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
Mark S. Segal. 2 Division of Nephrology, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida. 3 North Florida/South Georgia Veterans Health System, Gainesville, Florida.
Jon Dobson. 1 Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida. 4 J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida. 5 Institute of Cellular Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
Josephine B. Allen. 1 Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida. 5 Institute of Cellular Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
Address correspondence to: Josephine B. Allen, PhD, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Florida, 100 Rhines Hall, PO Box 116400, Gainesville, FL 32611, E-mail: [email protected]
Introduction
Recent advances in tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, and cell-based therapies necessitate the development of novel strategies that allow for controlling cellular processes. Of interest are approaches that are targeted, specific, robust, and ultimately result in molecular pathway activation and the transduction of signals that direct cellular responses, such as stem cell differentiation or tissue matrix production. For receptor-mediated cell processes, the identification of stable receptor ligands showing precise binding, high specificity, and targeted activation represents an area of active research [1].
Current efforts aim to use receptor-specific growth factors and cytokines or their respective receptor-binding peptide sequences as these are responsible for native interactions that result in receptor activation. While inherently successful as receptor agonists, these agents, often being difficult to control spatially, can lead to off-target effects through the activation of nonspecific receptors and binding to nonspecific cell types [2,3]. Unfortunately, identification of therapeutic agents that selectively activate specific cell surface receptor targets has proven to be quite a challenge. Overcoming these limitations in the control of receptor-mediated processes will result in distinct improvements in directing cellular processes, such as proliferation, migration, and differentiation.
A promising approach to achieving this goal is through the use of nucleic acid aptamers, single-stranded oligonucleotides that exhibit highly specific binding to intracellular and extracellular...