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Aptamers vs antibodies
What are the differences and advantages ?

Aptamers and antibodies are two major players that have revolutionized the way we approach analysis, diagnosis, treatment and research.
Aptamers are small molecules composed of DNA or RNA that are engineered in the laboratory to bind highly specifically to a given target, be it proteins, viruses, drugs or other chemical compounds.
Their development by Novaptech is based on an in vitro selection technique called SELEX (Systematic Evolution of Ligands by EXponential enrichment), which makes it possible to generate tailor-made aptamers for specific applications.
Antibodies, on the other hand, are proteins produced naturally by the immune system in response to the presence of foreign antigens, such as bacteria or viruses.
These proteins have the ability to specifically recognize and neutralize these antigens, making them key players in the body’s immune response.

Discover the potential of Aptamers and their advantages in the debate of Aptamers vs antibodies. Learn about the methods of Biomarker analysis and explore the advanced research conducted in our Biotechnology laboratory and the innovative approaches to Biomarker discovery.

Aptamers vs Antibodies

Key advantages of Aptamers over Antibodies

Aptamers are synthetic molecules that can be raised against any kind of target, including toxic or non immunogenic ones. They bind their target with affinity similar or higher than antibodies. They are 10 fold smaller than antibodies and can be chemically-modified at will in a defined and precise way. They can be easily stored and delivered ; they can be reversibly heat-denatured. The sourcing is guaranteed with a high batch to batch reproducibility.

They can be used under non physiological conditions for analytical purposes.

They are non–immunogenic and can be used in vivo.

Advantages of Aptamers : in short

Any target

Biomarker analysis

Tissue penetration

Superior affinity & specificity

Scalable production

Aptamers vs Antibodies : in details

Monoclonal antibody Aptamer
Stability
Sensitive to temperature, antibodies require refrigeration. The denaturation is irreversible
Stable at room temperature, aptamers have longer shelf life. The denaturation is reversible
Size
Large molecules (~160 kDa), resist to filtration by the kidneys
Small molecules (30 to 60 nt) that display better access to their target
Development process
Require immune response and animals
Selected in vitro by a method that might include positive and negative selection steps, thus ensuring very high specificity. Only a few nanomoles are required for selection. A large molecular diversity is screened
Target potential
Targets must produce an immune response
Can bind to very small, non immunogenic, toxic targets
Production time and cost
In several months / The production of antibodies requires long and expensive in vivo procedures
In several weeks / The selected aptamers are chemically synthetized, reducing the production cost

Any question ? Contact us

Any question about selection service or assay development ? Please fill in the form below with relevant details for helping us providing an informative answer. Telephone call can be arranged. NDA can be signed, would you wish so. We will answer you as quickly as possible (generally less than 2 working days).

Biomarker analysis

Your scientific contact :

Jean-Jacques Toulmé, PhD, CSO

Aptamers and antibodies play a central role in diagnostics and analytical assays. Their high
binding specificities make them tools of choice for quantitatively detecting molecular targets in
various samples (tissue, blood, water, food,…).
They are widely used for biosensing in association with different modalities of signal
transduction (fluorescence, colorimetry, electrochemistry).
They enable the quantitative specific detection of the target molecule in the field through
simple, cheap and rapid assays.

Aptamers and antibodies play a central role in biomedical research and medical practice. Their
high binding specificities make them tools of choice for detecting and identifying specific
molecular targets in biological samples.
They are widely used in diagnostic tests, biomarker discovery, protein characterization and
understanding the mechanisms underlying disease.
In medicine, monoclonal antibodies are used to treat certain autoimmune diseases and certain
types of cancer. Aptamers, on the other hand, offer a promising alternative, notably as vectors
for targeted drugs and personalized medicine.

The aptamer selection process, or SELEX, lies at the heart of the identification of specific
aptamers. It begins with the synthesis of a random oligonucleotide library in which each
sequence has a unique three-dimensional structure.
This library is then subjected to selection cycles that include binding to the target, washing to
remove unbound sequences and recovery of target-bound aptamers. This process is repeated
many times until aptamers with high specificity and affinity for the target are selected.

Specific binding mechanism

Aptamers form hydrogen bonds, electrostatic interactions and Van der Waals interactions with
the target. This enables highly specific binding between the aptamer and its target, depending
on the latter’s precise molecular characteristics.
The three-dimensional conformation of the aptamer is crucial, enabling it to adapt perfectly to
the shape of the target, thus providing the specificity of the binding.

Applications in research and medicine

The ability of aptamers to bind specifically to molecular targets makes them valuable tools for
biomarker detection, protein characterization, drug and contaminant analysis and the
understanding of biological mechanisms.
They are also used to specifically target tumor cells or virus-infected cells, paving the way for
targeted treatment possibilities. In research, aptamers are used to study protein interactions,
identify binding partners and explore cell signaling networks.

One of the major advantages of aptamers over antibodies is their high specificity. Aptamers are identified in the laboratory through positive and negative screening in order to discriminate between closely related targets.
The SELEX selection process generates aptamers that bind tightly and specifically to the target, minimizing non-specific binding to other molecules in the sample. This specificity guarantees greater precision in the detection and quantification of molecular targets, and reduces the risk of false positives and false negatives.
Versatility of aptamers : Aptamers are obtained by chemical synthesis on solid support. Chemical modifications can be introduced at will at given sites in order to provide them with additional properties depending on the application (increased lifetime, detection by fluorescence, immobilization on a biochip, …).
Thermal stability of aptamers : Heating aptamer solution to 80-90 °C will denature them.
However, unlike proteins, they will refold upon cooling and regain their functionality.

Cost advantage for aptamers

The large-scale production of monoclonal antibodies requires the development and maintenance of hybrid cell lines, which is extremely costly. What’s more, antibody production requires specialized facilities and thus a major investment in material resources.

In contrast, in terms of production costs, aptamers offer a significant advantage over antibodies.
Morever the chemical synthesis of aptamers, including under GMP conditions, ensures a guaranteed sourcing, no batch no batch variability.

Our partnership with Eurogentec

Eurogentec provides oligonucleotide products and services to scientists involved in life science research, molecular diagnostics and therapeutic development.
An expert in both small- and large-scale synthesis, Eurogentec produces a wide range of customized oligonucleotides, including chemically-modified ones (nuclease resistant backbones, modified nucleic acid bases, end-conjugated sequences).
Novaptech and Eurogentec have signed a partnership agreement for the production of aptamers selected by Novaptech. https://www.eurogentec.com/en/search?q=novaptech

Low/no immunogenicity of aptamers

Another major advantage in the antibody vs aptamer match-up lies in the low or even absence of immunogenicity of aptamers compared with antibodies.

Offerings
About Aptamers
About Novaptech
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Entry #5, 2nd floor
33170 GRADIGNAN, FRANCE
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About Novaptech
Contact

2 avenue Favard
Entry #5, 1st floor
33170 GRADIGNAN, FRANCE
contact@novaptech-com.preview-domain.com

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