Advantages, applications and future directions of in vivo aptamer SELEX: a review

Minchuan Lyu, Chi Ho Chan, Ziqi Chen, Yumeng Liu, Yuanyuan Yu*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articlepeer-review

Abstract

In vivo SELEX emerged as a transformative technique for directly identifying aptamers within living organisms. Unlike traditional in vitro methods which often fail to capture the complexity of biological interactions in physiological environments, in vivo SELEX leverages whole living organisms as selection targets. This strategy significantly enhances the specificity, functionality, and physiological relevance of the selected aptamers, making them more viable for therapeutic, diagnostic, and imaging applications. The aim of this review is to elucidate the unique advantages of in vivo SELEX compared to conventional in vitro techniques. It focuses on how in vivo SELEX improves aptamer specificity, physiological relevance, and pharmacokinetic properties, thereby enhancing their potential for use in diagnostics and therapeutics. This review highlights the principles, advancements, and challenges of in vivo SELEX, while discussing its potential to bridge the gap between aptamer discovery and clinical translation. By enabling the selection of aptamers under real physiological conditions, in vivo SELEX addresses critical limitations of in vitro methods, such as off-target effects and poor clinical translatability. The review also explores the applications of in vivo SELEX in various fields, including neurology, oncology, and cardiovascular diseases, and provides insights into future directions for optimizing this technology.
Original languageEnglish
Article number102575
Number of pages11
JournalMolecular Therapy Nucleic Acids
Volume36
Issue number3
Early online date26 May 2025
DOIs
Publication statusE-pub ahead of print - 26 May 2025

User-Defined Keywords

  • Aptamers
  • In vitro SELEX
  • In vivo SELEX
  • MT: Oligonucleotides: Therapies and Applications
  • in vivo SELEX
  • in vitro SELEX
  • aptamers

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